At the beginning of each year, I choose one word to fuel and carry me through the year. In the past I've found myself frustrated with not keeping New Year's Resolutions, so I've found that choosing one word sets the tone and makes all the difference. This year, I chose the word ACTION. I was tired of starting and not finishing, and knew something had to change. 

There were three pivotal influencers who inspired taking on Action as my word for 2017.

1. I started listening to a podcast by writer, world traveler and friend, Chris Guillebeau at the beginning of the year called Side Hustle School. It's a daily podcast that features a different (true) story of someone starting an income-generating side hustle while still keeping his/her day job. If you haven't listened, I highly recommend checking it out as well as his new book, Side Hustle. Nearly every episode he ends by saying "Inspiration is good. But Inspiration combined with Action is so much better." This resonated with me. Without action, how can anything get done? 

2. I was perusing Facebook at the beginning of the year and came across something that my friend Adrian Landin had posted about taking Action. Adrian is a big inspiration when it comes to taking Action and putting yourself out in the world. And once you take the step to bettering yourself, he will be your biggest cheerleader. 

3. I ordered author Jon Acuff's 12-month wall calendar. Seeing my whole year in front of me allowed me to keep Action at the forefront of my daily hustle. I began recording each time I attended a Yoga class and most recently, marked all of the big Actions I've taken this year. Every time I add something to my calendar or check something as complete, I feel a sense of accomplishment. I love this calendar so much that I went ahead and ordered the one for 2018 so I could start planning my year!

I had dabbled in yoga and various fitness routines in the past, yet never could seem to stick to a solid routine. On January 14th, that all changed. I knew that if I was going to really be serious about taking Action and sticking to a routine, I would need to invest in myself. So I made the commitment and joined CorePower Yoga. When I started, I really had no goal in mind for how many sessions I would attend. I just knew that by paying for it, it would cause me to go enough to get my money's worth. 

I jumped in and attended 11 sessions in that first month. At the end of the month/beginning of February, I went to San Francisco for a conference. On my last night there, I was walking downtown with a dear friend of mine, stepped off the curb and fell sideways on my ankle. I could not stand up and immediately knew something bad had happened. I had badly sprained my ankle and possibly torn or pulled ligaments. I was in a boot for 10 weeks. I had to halt my yoga journey. The old me would've stayed down, and not returned on my journey. But I kept Action at the forefront of my mind. When I had recovered well enough to get back to yoga, I took it slow but jumped back in. Yoga actually helped to heal and strengthen my ankle. 

Flash forward to September where I completed my 100th yoga session for the year! I was astonished that I had pulled this off! I am now on my 125th session and just put down a deposit for an intense 8-week Yoga Teacher Training program which starts TONIGHT! I am intimidated and excited about this journey. I know it will challenge and push me in ways beyond what I think I'm capable of. I am committed to seeing this through and completing my year of ACTION with a bang. If you had told me at the beginning of the year that I would be doing this, I would not have believed you. Action has propelled me forward in more ways than I thought possible. 

I will be posting updates throughout my journey on here and social media. I look forward to sharing with you and seeing what opens up for me!