Ok, it wasn’t last night. It was actually on Wednesday night, which happened to be my birthday (* obnoxiously calling all Scorpios 🦂*)
And I mean worse than taking multiple Jell-O shots at your birthday party before getting proposed to (true story, there’s evidence)…
(To be fair: I made the Jell-O shots myself this year and subbed ALL water in the recipe with vodka - apparently, you’re only supposed to sub half? Wussies. It was also Grey Goose at that. I thought to myself, “No one is going to take these shots. They’re ridiculously strong.” I was extremely wrong, I even proved myself wrong 😂)
The past 3 weeks have been an absolute whirlwind of excitement. From planning & executing my Halloween party turned surprise proposal, an impromptu trip to the Fort Worth Stockyards, celebrating my 28th birthday, and loads of family events thrown in there during the Halloween season - I’ve been celebrating nonstop.
(Can we all agree combining kids’ sports with the holiday season as a parent with 2 children under 10 is WILD? I swear we have a different practice and/or game every night of the week. At this rate, I am simply my kids’ personal Uber.)
I have a lot to be thankful for right now, and I am feeling ALL the love from every single person in my digital and non-digital life. (I used to say IRL, but I realized my digital life/community IS my real life. I’ve made friends and acquaintances quite literally all over the world.)
I’ve been blessed to wake up every day and feel so LIT for what lies ahead. Every day I feel somehow better than the last. Every day brings new opportunities to keep building my incredible life.
I feel like the last 21 days have blended into each other, creating one of the best/most memorable months of my life.
It’s also not beyond me that, for you, this could perhaps be one of the hardest months of your life. So if you’re not in a celebratory mode, I get it. I’ve been there.
All through this, I’ve been pushing myself to stay on top of my discipline in the areas that require it the most… my fitness, my career, and my sex life. (It takes discipline to give when I usually want to receive, IYKYK 😂)
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not perfect, and I definitely let myself down on a regular basis but I also realize I hold myself to a very high standard at this point in my life. Higher than I ever have in the past.
A little critical? Sure. But it really comes down to knowing and believing what I’m capable of and holding myself accountable to execute that vision.
As I shared on here and the podcast recently, I’ve still been working out, prioritizing protein, sleeping like an absolute angel, and getting new forms of cardio in.
To be honest, I feel good.
I feel good in my skin. I feel confident. And most importantly, I’m pretty proud of what I’ve accomplished thus far in my fitness/health journey.
It still blows my mind that this time last year I was actually 40lbs heavier and drinking nearly a bottle of wine every day. I was working out daily in the gym only to take 3 steps back every night with my “mommy juice.” 🫠
But I can say my perspective has shifted this year. Of course, I want to celebrate, drink carefully crafted manhattans, order a glass of sparkling with a splash at brunch, and take home 2 desserts to sample along with the 10% tax I took from my kid’s Halloween candy 😂
But, in retrospect, I know that every decision we make (good or bad) has a counter-reaction.
This season of life I’m in is less about the question, “Should I have this” or “Should I not do that?”
Instead, it’s been a question of, “How will I feel TOMORROW if I do this or don’t do that?”
Yes, I could DoorDash my favorite chocolate ganache cake from Bar Louie, but how will I feel tomorrow morning from the sugar binge?
Sure we could stay up extra light binge-watching the latest live episode of Kill Tony but how will my workout and my mood tomorrow be affected with 2 fewer hours of sleep?
Yeah, I could skip the gym today because I could use the extra work time in the morning. But what will my progress look like if I don’t push my body?
Or maybe even more relatable… I could definitely put off that business task for tomorrow because I’m a little lazy/tired/non-creative today, but how will that decision affect me tomorrow when I’ve procrastinated and added more to my next day?
We’re making these decisions every single day. In every moment, you’re making decisions that can make your day or even your week/month/year BETTER. Or you can make decisions that set you back, or even just keep you where you are (the silent killer of hopes and dreams…)
The cool thing about our minds (and bodies) is that when we continue to make powerful decisions (the hard decisions, the decisions with more resistance and discipline) our body and mind become more confident that they can KEEP making strong decisions and pushing themselves to new limits (mentally and physically).
And the more you do that, the easier those choices become.
The easier it is to wake up an hour early to go for a run.
The easier it is to limit yourself to one drink.
The easier it is to put your head down and WORK, so you can bulldoze through your list.
The easier it is to instill habits that are going to build a better, stronger, happier YOU.
The less difficult those real-time decisions become.
Trust me, it’s all easier said than done.
Remember when I said I was a bad girl? 🫠
Let’s just say it wasn’t easy to limit myself when it came to the white chantilly cake from Whole Foods (on god it will absolutely change your life).
When I tell you I ate SO much cake, I could nearly feel it pumping through my main arteries. The sugar content was killer, my heart is racing just thinking about it 😂
But god was it good.
In hindsight, I definitely could’ve eaten less. I probably would’ve felt a lot better about myself and wouldn’t have been carrying around a bloated food baby the next day.
I could have made a better choice. Sure.
But I was celebrating, and the cake was well-deserved.
The point is: you can have your cake and eat it too. There is such a thing as balance - and there’s nothing better than a balanced life where you feel and see the fruits of your labor (but occasionally get to eat them too) 😉
If there’s one thing I hope you get from today’s newsletter, it’s that you can do the hard thing, friend. You have the power to make the tough decisions that will move you toward who you want to be. And the closer you get to that version of you, the more good, positivity, and joy you’ll experience.
Just don’t forget to treat yourself along the way. 🤍
(And of course, give yourself grace when you need it most)
Show yourself some love today.
You’ve earned it.
As always,
Taylor