Happy New Year everyone!
In past years I’ve set yearly goals, which have worked out well. 2016 goals were set before I bought Frankie, but were general enough that we were able to accomplish them. 2017 goals were focused mainly around showing, and included some stretch goals that we achieved. I tried something different in 2018 by breaking my goals out into equestrian, professional, and personal themes.
So with all that in mind, I’ve been wracking my brain on how to set goals for 2019. What am I hoping to accomplish with Frankie, with my husband, with my career?
I’ll be totally honest with you- at this point, I have no idea.
I’m still reveling in the sense of relief and freedom from wedding planning. It was entirely worth it and magical, but having all this free time back is pretty liberating. What do I want to do with it?
For now, I want to just enjoy. I’ve spent the last couple of years purposefully overextending myself to chase a lot of goals while I’m young and healthy. While I’m still young and healthy, I’m also really satisfied with what I’ve been able to accomplish. There’s still plenty to do, but there isn’t as much of a sense of urgency as there has been in the past. We’ve already managed to check off so many bucket list items.
Team Finals? Not only did we qualify, but we helped our team win a silver medal against excellent competition.
Two week show? We went to WEC and won our first blue ribbon as a team.
Lake Placid? We made it! Even if I struggled mentally, there was lots to be proud of.
Upperville? We’ve gone several years in a row and had fantastic rounds each year.
Moving up? Frankie has been a rockstar with me in the irons at 1.15m, and I’ve gotten more joy than I anticipated from watching him go at 1.20m with AT.
Trying new things? We’ve gone XC schooling, we’ve gotten blue ribbons in the eq ring, Francis has tried out the pleasure division and the children’s hunters, and we’ve hacked out regularly.
Improving our abilities? Frankie is now hands-down the fanciest horse I could hope to have. And he only gets better over time.
Staying healthy? As he approaches his teenage years, Frankie looks and is going better than ever. His vets/farriers/healthcare team are the best in the business.
We’ve accomplished an incredible amount over the last almost-three-years together. And it’s been beyond fun to tackle all of these things with the happiest sweetest big bay guy. With all that to be proud of, it’s hard to say “I wish I could do more with him.” He’s already given me more than I could’ve ever dreamed of.
I’m naturally a very goal-driven and competitive person by nature, so I may eventually come down from this post-wedding high and decide to set some goals to work towards. I’m certainly not counting that possibility out. But for now, here are my main goals for 2019:
Be happy with Frankie. Train hard because we both are happier in a fairly intense program and we both love to learn, go to shows where we can have fun, spend lots of time together, expand our skills, and enjoy our partnership. No specific heights or shows necessary, we’ll take those as they come in whatever form they come.
Be happy with my husband. Our first month of marriage has flown by with all the chaos of the holidays, and I have a feeling it’ll only get better from here. He’s the best guy I’ve ever known and we have so many exciting adventures ahead of us.
Be happy with my career. Do the best work I can, learn from my brilliant coworkers, move forward with my own skill set.
Be happy with myself. Find a balance that works without needing to overextend. Eat right and work out to feel strong and confident in my skin. Use face masks as often as needed because those TOTALLY count as self-care. Use this blog as the creative outlet it is.
Cheers to the new year, and I can’t wait to share it with all of you!
