Blah blah blah, it’s the New Year, time for a new you. Or is it? What if we just reject that theory and remain exactly who we are? Sound good?
Me on New Year's Eve in one of my fave friend's super cute powder room.
Okay now that that’s settled, here are my top takeaways from 2023 and what i’m looking forward to in 2024.
Welcome to the 2024 Edit.
What’s Out:
Posting every detail of our lives on social media. Anyone else bored with Instagram? Like do we really care what we’re having for happy hour? Here’s my personal philosophy on social media (that I don’t always follow 100% but I try): I use it like a digital scrapbook. If there’s a moment in time or a special memory I want my kids to be able to remember when I’m gone, then I post it. So lately I’ve just been sharing birthdays, milestones, beginning/end of sports seasons, my daughter’s dance competitions, fun trips… the stuff I want them to remember. I could probably do better at posting more of the mundane, every day stuff but I tend to get bored and forget. But that’s the filter I use to determine what to post and it’s not groundbreaking… sorry!
Listening to the experts on how to dress. I know skinny jeans and side parts are so not the moment… but do you know what also isn’t cool? Letting strangers on the internet tell you what to wear! Just wear what looks good on you and what you feel comfortable in. I’m loving Rent the Runway right now for a way to experiment with new looks/colors/sizes and I don’t have to commit to buying something I’m ultimately not going to love. Also black Spanx dress pants never go out of style. Just saying…
Perfection. I’ve struggled with perfectionism my entire life. As the eldest/middle child in a blended family I definitely owned the personality trait of Achievement Queen to stand out among my 4 siblings and parents’ busy social lives. It’s not a bad thing just something I’ve noticed and try to be ultra aware of now that I’m raising tweens. Perfection is boring and ultimately, a waste of time. Flaws are inevitable and the sooner we learn how to embrace them and learn from our mistakes, the easier life gets. And that’s what this little experiment is all about isn’t it? The Adagio Edit is where you can go to (hopefully) find inspiration on how to live a life more at ease. And perfectionism ain’t it.
What’s In:
Pilates. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it til the day that I die, pilates is THE best workout for the mind body and soul. It’s so grounding to feel connected to the core of who I am, the center of me, while I’m building strength and flexibility and just taking some time to escape the rush of the day to just be in the present moment. The breath work really helps me manage stress too.
Unrestrictive diets. I love having the flexibility and freedom to enjoy my food. Does it always agree with my sensitive digestive system? Nope. But I have to say in my wellness journey I’ve tried it all: Paleo, the autoimmune protocol, Keto, Gluten Free, Vegan, High Protein… and when I just don’t stress about what I’m eating and focus on eating a variety of real, whole, unprocessed foods, I feel so much better in my body. Am I as thin as I once was when I was teaching barre 5 days a week and constantly doing spin, hot yoga or whatever the latest boutique fitness craze was? No. But I’m almost 42 and love embracing this new normal of just eating food when I’m hungry and stopping when I’m full and I can deal with the consequences of a poor food choice (hello it’s called a french fry — let me live!) by balancing it out with some good digestive enzymes and a green smoothie.
Stillness. Call me crazy but I just don’t have the same social energy in my 40s that I had in my 30s. I have an amazing group of girlfriends here in town that are the nicest, most supportive women and we all have several things in common: we love a spontaneous house party (especially one where we are in sweats), we love a group chat and there is zero guilt to make plans. We celebrate each other’s birthdays and holidays but beyond that there is no pressure to make plans throughout the calendar year. And thank goodness for that! Or I’d probably never see them. There’s something about this phase of life where doing nothing is everything. Maybe this is the secret to happiness and everyone else already knew it and I am just a dumb-dumb and the last to know… but I am in my Blank Space era (calendar-ly speaking) and I’m loving it.