I’m a big fan of the one-word resolution: in 2017, it was COLLECTED. For 2018, I want to focus on COMMUNITY. I like the one word resolution because rather than listing a bunch of things that will mostly fall off the radar by February (if I’m being totally honest), the one word is something I can keep in the back of my mind for the year, constantly revisiting it to see if I’m on track, but at the same time, it’s not something that I can really ‘fail’ at. It just a reminder of where I want my attention to be focused—and like last year’s “collected,” COMMUNITY is great because it can span from work to sport to life.
So, COMMUNITY. Now that things have settled down a bit, the month of December made me realize that that’s what I’m really ready for. Not in the sense that I want to stop traveling altogether and stay in one place, but that I want to actually embrace making real, solid connections both where I live and where I travel. I’ve developed a ton of awesome friendships over the years, but what I’m definitely lacking is some real roots. So, for 2018, my goal is to start developing those roots, both where we live but also by reconnecting with some of the best places that I’ve lived and spent time in.
To that end, I’ve already put a few things in place to force the issue, and have a few more ideas in mind.
Shred Girls
Obviously, the biggest thing that happened in 2017 for me was signing with Rodale for the first three books in the Shred Girls series. I’ve been working away on the books and also the Real Life Shred Girls series over on the website, and it’s been super fun so far. But in 2018, the goal is to add some more events, both hosting and attending. I’ll be helping out at the women’s weekend at Joyride 150 near Toronto in February to kind of kick that off, and that’s pretty exciting to me. So if anyone has ideas/wants to do some cool Shred Girls stuff near them, definitely get in touch!
Yoga Teacher Training
At first glance, this might not make a ton of sense as to why it creates community. There’s the obvious be-better-at-yoga and meet-new-people, of course, and I’m looking forward to that. But there are three big payoffs that I’m particularly psyched on:
- Volunteer and teaching opportunities: I do a lot within women’s cycling and want to do more along the volunteering front, but most of my work is currently done behind the scenes or remotely. With being able to teach yoga, I want to actually do more in-person volunteering, hopefully teaching classes to people who could really use it in their lives. Between the few places in town I’m hoping to be able to do that, and the fact that I’ll also be able to teach regular classes, I’m hoping to carve out more of a spot for myself as an active, participating part of the community in town.
- Spending time in Toronto: I’m pretty excited about this, as a person who spent a ton of time in NYC and Philly as a teenager. I haven’t spent much time in Toronto, but since the class is Saturdays and Sundays, it gives me an excuse to be there a lot more, and to connect more with the friends that we do have who live in the city. It should be cool to get to know a whole other city than the ones I grew up in.
- Learning to teach and speak:I give a lot of talks and do a lot of clinics, but most of you know I’m actually terrified of public speaking. So, I’m sort of hoping that with teacher training, I’ll be confronting that fear and actually dealing with it and getting a lot better at interacting and not being super nervous. In a roundabout way, that should make me a better clinic teacher, and make for even better community-oriented talks when I do give them!
BikeReg/Shred Girls Crit Team
When my amazing friend Christin called me and said she had a crazy idea, I was—of course—excited. The idea turned into a small amateur crit team with her, myself and a few other rad women that she rounded up. And, of course, Shred Girls is heavily involved because hey, if I can’t shred, why am I writing these? So, now I find myself starting to train again to race crits—something I used to love but haven’t done much of in recent years, and I’m super excited. It’s going to be terrifying and satisfying to put myself back in the racing scene, and more important, it’s allowing me the chance to hang out with some really great girls!
Some TBA Collaborations with My Favorite People
While some things are coming to an end for me after this cyclocross season, there are a bunch of new opportunities that are coming up. I won’t/can’t dive into them quite yet, but I’m excited about a bunch of new stuff on the horizon… And, of course, excited about another year of working with awesome companies like Bicycling and MapMyRun.com!
Just Hanging Out in Collingwood
Perhaps the biggest resolution this year is to spend more time actually simply hanging out. We started the New Year right: in the new coffee shop/bar downtown, enjoying a band with two of our best friends. Earlier that day, we snowshoed with another one of my closest friends here, and had an absolute blast. There wasn’t really any work talk, or anything to be gained from either activity. I didn’t check off anything on my to-do list. I just had fun with people I love. And that’s the biggest thing I want to do more of this year.
Oh yeah—How did 2017 go? I felt like things were pretty darn dialed: When Tom asked if I had snacks in my purse, I did. When Jeremy needed stickers, there they were. When we flew, I always had the tickets stashed in my leather envelope folder or my travel wallet. And while I wasn’t positive I had actually achieved it, I realized I came pretty freaking close when Ellen actually noted that I was always collected (her choice of words without realizing that was the goal!). (Of course, she also noted that she finally could see that I’m neurotic as hell about travel days, including ones where I’m involved… But that she finally understood why, after a few of our misadventures in Europe!)
Let me know in the comments or on the social medias: What’s your one-word resolution this year?
Before you go, are you subscribed to the newsletter?
