What a huge 6 months we’ve had! Our students should be so proud of themselves and their accomplishments. We’re now in the thick of winter and many of us are finding ourselves in and out of the sick bay, which can be deflating when you consider what a high we were on. It is so important to continue riding the wave of our recent achievements, as is bouncing back when you’re feeling well enough to move again.
Here are my 5 steps to help you stay motivated to reach your goals:
1. Create a vision board and place it somewhere that you will see each day!
You know that feeling you have when you see a photo of a beautiful beach, the one that you’ve been dreaming of dipping your feet into since 2019? That feeling often never stops hitting you until you finally have your toes in the sand. So, cut and paste a photo of that beach onto your vision board and surround it with other similar goals, and lay your board out somewhere that you will see it clearly every day.
Perhaps you can ask yourself what position or movement would you LOVE to conquer this year? Maybe it’s a stunning Penché! Find a beautiful photo of this movement that will inspire you and pin it to your board.
TIP: Vision board creation is a fun winter weekend activity to do with friends or family – you’ll get to hear about each other’s passions and perhaps also inspire each other.
2. Create a routine to help you accomplish the goals set on your vision board.
We’re all about manifesting our dreams this year, but many of us forget that to manifest you need to put a plan into action. You can’t simply close your eyes and when you open them, you’re high on your toes with one leg perfectly extended overhead in your dream Penché position (if only!!) - you really need to lay out a step-by-step plan.
For example, if your goal is to save $50 by the end of the year – HOW are you going to get there? Break it down and look at your allowance and how much you would need to put away monthly to reach $50 by the end of the year (it’s only $4.15 a month)!
This also works with your dance; did you know that you can’t perform a Penché until you have an arabesque or the full splits covered? Work on a plan with your teacher and ask them to help you create steps towards your goal and dates to achieve each step by.
3. This routine is non-negotiable.
For a moment, think back to this time 2 years ago - we were locked in the house for 23 hours a day, so many of us feeling held back from doing what we love. Look at us now, the world is at our feet and doors are opening again – it’s time to move and enjoy ourselves and to stop taking our passions for granted! So, once you have planned out your routine or plan – make it non-negotiable. No questions asked, never doubt yourself – simply get it done. While those small moments each day may feel like not much, each time you put them off until tomorrow this adds up. Just like the example we used above with money; you’re not going to get to your $50 savings goal without putting that $4 away each month. If you make enough excuses, it’ll get to the end of the year, and you’ll have $10 and it’s likely you’ll repeat this habit next year.
With dance, each time you simply turn up to class you are on the right track to achieving your dream – but to reach your accomplishment sooner, or even at all, you will need to have a plan and track your progress.
4. Ask a friend or family member to keep you accountable.
Or perhaps it’s your teacher that helped you lay out your plan! Ask them to check in with you each month to see how your plan is going. One step better than this would be to find a friend that has the same goal, and you can work on it together!
5. Enjoy yourself!
Once you reignite the spark for what it is you’re passionate about, and once you set those goals, such as the Penché – get excited! Life is all about having something amazing to look forward to and enjoying every step along the way. If it’s not making you feel good, go back to your vision board and refresh it.
It’s incredible how much your outlook can change once you have something to look forward to! I’d love to hear about your goals or see photos of your vision board – please do share them with me or your friends at KGD – even tag us (@karliegracedancers) on your social media if you post them online. Once you know you’re making the steps in the right direction and you’re in your set routine (perhaps you can see your goal on the horizon), take a moment to see how far you’ve come… and BE PROUD OF YOURSELF!