As I sit on the plane and ponder the year that was 2018, all I think of is magic. I lived out all of my wildest dreams, and then some.
I travelled the World more than I ever have before, from Korea, to Australia, to Japan than back to Korea. Than Scotland, Ireland and England, Iceland, Mexico, China and ended it all in Italy. I also travelled coast to coast across Canada, not once, but TWICE in 2018.
More than 3/4 of this travel was due to figure skating. Skating gave me a platform to share my passion all over the world and I am forever grateful for these opportunities.
I also lived out my biggest dream at the Olympics, having 4 personal best performances to win a gold and bronze medal. I went to the Olympics and performed my best, which was the ultimate goal, and now I have medals as a reminder of those great moments. My 2018 was essentially defined in the final 4.5 minutes that I skated in Pyeongchang. I could have spent the year in either heartbreak and regret, or sheer and utter joy and elation. Due to hard work, dedication and pure determination, everything turned out exactly as I had planned, but it is crazy to think that one second of those 4.5 minutes, could have changed everything about my 2018.
I can now look back at my calendar from 2018 and I wonder who that insane person was. 2018 was an utter rush that often had me thinking “Is this my real life?” From touring and performing for sold out arenas, to having my own book, to having some amazing opportunities to speak and share my story and meeting incredible people, 2018 was my year. It was everything I dreamed possible. And now it is time to stop and revel in those moments.
Now, I am sitting on a plane, as I often do at this time of the year, contemplating what’s next. Less travel comes to mind. I want to be home more in 2019. That has to be up there as number 1 on my 2019 to-do list.
I want to continue to grow LutzofGreens and bring more attention to wellness in the skating community. Proper hydration and nutrition are vital and to many skaters are ignoring these areas of their training, and their health. Enjoying the process and staying positive throughout it all, is another ingredient towards success. No gold medal is worth your health or well-being, and I hope to educate more athletes on that.
I found a few other things to focus on for the New Year and I wanted to share them with you. I hope you can find some inspiration for the New Year with these wellness thoughts.
- You don’t need more space; you need less stuff. I literally keep everything. So many trinkets, papers and mementos, that seem so important in the moment, then I never look at them again. These things not only take up space in your home, but eventually in your life and mind as well. Declutter, minimalize and simplify.
- Be the change. Don’t sit back waiting for things to happen. I want to volunteer more, and help make a change in this world. You cannot go a single day with having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and it’s up to you to decide what kind of difference you want to make.
- Stop saying yes to shit you don’t want to do. I am a people pleaser. I say yes to everything, without even thinking twice about it. This year I will commit to only saying yes to things that I feel passionately about.
- Learn a new skill. Everyday is a chance to learn. A language, an art, a sport or a recipe, challenge yourself to learn something new everyday, and engage in mastering a new skill this year. Be brave enough to be bad at something new.
- Never stop looking for new opportunities and new challenges. Remember, that in the end, you will only regret the chances you didn’t take. Create, grow, try and expand. Jump, and see where you land.
- And, most importantly, I will travel less. We often hear of setting the goal to “Travel More”, “Be more adventurous” but I feel the opposite. I do want to travel less. My home doesn’t even feel like a home anymore, because I am so seldom there. I want to create a life that comes from stability and a home base. There is nothing wrong with wanting to travel less and being home more.
If want you 2019 to be your year; don’t sit on the couch and wait for it. Go for it. Make a change. Smile more. Be excited. Do new things. Throw away what you’ve been cluttering. Unfollow negative people on social media. Go to bed early. Wake up early. Be fierce. Don’t gossip. Show more gratitude. Do things that challenge you. Be brave.
12 new chapters. 365 chances.
