training

New Year, Same Challenges: The Key to Showing Up for Yourself

As we close out 2024 and head into 2025, it’s natural to feel the pull of a fresh start—the allure of the “new year, new me” mindset. Many set ambitious resolutions, brimming with hope for change, only to see those goals quietly slip away by March. It’s a cycle I’ve seen often, especially as moms approach me with a common plea: “Can you be my trainer? I need you to motivate me!”

The truth is, I’m not a trainer. I’m a mom, just like them, navigating the chaos of life. But what I’ve learned—what truly makes the difference—is this: motivation isn’t a crutch you can lean on. It’s fleeting, inconsistent, and unreliable. What keeps me going isn’t motivation—it’s discipline and a deeply rooted personal “why.”

Luna always getting in the middle of my warmup.

Making Your Goals Non-Negotiable

For me, working out isn’t something I squeeze in when life permits. It’s a non-negotiable, like brushing my teeth or taking a shower. It’s a promise I keep to myself. And let’s be honest: it’s easy to show up for everyone else—for our kids, our partners, our jobs. But if we don’t start with ourselves, there won’t be much left of us to give.

That’s why I plan my workouts like I plan anything else in life. If I know the weekend will be packed or something might derail my usual routine, I work around it. I adjust my day to fit in the workout instead of leaving it to chance.

Grace, Not Guilt

Of course, life happens. There are days when the workout is just impossible. On those days, I give myself grace. I don’t beat myself up or punish myself by overdoing it the next day. I simply start again. The key isn’t perfection—it’s consistency.

This mindset keeps me going, even when things get hard. I’ve let go of the idea that missing a day means failure, and instead, I focus on showing up the next day.

Finding Your Why

When someone asks how I stay disciplined, I ask them this: What’s your why? Why does this matter to you? Your why needs to be bigger than the excuses that inevitably come up. For me, my why is about health, energy, and being the best version of myself for my family and, more importantly, for me.

As we step into the new year, let’s leave behind the pressure of fleeting motivation and embrace the steady strength of discipline and purpose. Show up for yourself. Keep the promises you make to yourself. And when life happens? Give yourself grace and keep going.

What’s your “why” for 2025? I’d love to hear how you’re planning to show up for yourself in the new year. Share in the comments—I’m cheering you on.

Laying the Next Brick

It’s been a while since I last wrote. Life happened, as it always does. And in the whirlwind of “to-dos” and “what ifs,” I let this space collect dust. But today, I’m ready to pick up where I left off—still asking questions about legacy but with a new perspective and a new challenge ahead.

Legacy is a funny thing. Last time, I talked about it in terms of what we leave behind for others. But lately, I’ve been thinking about what we leave behind for ourselves. The stories we tell ourselves. The proof we give ourselves that we did the thing—that we showed up, took a chance, lived intentionally. That we didn’t let fear or time or excuses win.

I’ve set a goal that feels impossible right now: to qualify and run the NYC Marathon the year I turn 50. That’s 26.2 miles of sheer determination. I’ve never run a marathon before, though I came close once. I was training for the Disney Marathon in 2020, but a foot injury stopped me cold after I hit 19 miles. It crushed me at the time. I let it linger as another story of unfinished business.

Not anymore.

This time, I’m writing a new story—and this one ends with me crossing that finish line. I have a plan. In 2025, I’ll tackle 5Ks, 10Ks, and a half marathon. In 2026, I’ll push further, with more half marathons as I continue to focus on strength and mobility. But the goal isn’t just the NYC Marathon in 2027; it’s what this journey will teach me—and my kids—about living with intention.

Because isn’t that what legacy really is? It’s the life we live now, the example we set. It’s deciding, every day, to take one more step, to embrace the struggle, to be scared but go anyway. My kids won’t care about the finish time; they’ll remember that I didn’t give up, even when it was hard.

This blog is part of that journey too. Sharing the wins, the setbacks, the lessons—because legacy isn’t a destination, it’s the path we choose to walk every day.

So here’s to starting again. To laying the next brick. To writing our legacy one bold, messy, beautiful step at a time.

What’s the next brick you’re laying?