2021: Curiosity
I’m not one for resolutions. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I made one I actually stuck to. So in lieu of lofty goals or year-long aspirations, I’ve simply opted for a word (or theme if you will) to act as a guiding force throughout the year. This year I’m embracing my curiosity.
As I approach my 35th year with this mind and body, I’ve had enough time to realize a few flaws. Mainly, that I’m incredibly self-critical. I have an internal dialogue that’s always running, constantly criticizing my goals, activities, skills, even my character. It’s like I can’t allow myself to try new things or pursue things I already enjoy unless I’m continuously giving it my all. It’s exhausting. Hell even just writing about it makes me feel exhausted.
This negative, critical self-talk is something I’ve been working to end for years. I was listening to the Hurdle podcast by Emily Abbate this morning and she said something that really resonated with me. “You are the person who talks to yourself the most on any given day. So right now that negative conversation you’re having in your head, you have control over that conversation, although it might feel like you don’t. We might not be able to control our feelings but we can control how we react to them.” Life is hard enough as it is without incessantly berating myself, and although I’ve made great improvements the last few years, at times that perfectionistic little voice still makes an appearance.
What does any of this have to do with curiosity? It comes back to putting too much pressure on myself. I want to embrace my curiosity to help shift my mindset. Rather than feeling that I have to master a certain skill, or perform at my absolute best, or even to accomplish any certain goal, I’m going to follow wherever my curiosity takes me and not put parameters on it.
Whether it’s through the lens of fitness, learning, career path, love life, etc. I’m going to focus on simply being curious; letting go of any expectations. Below I’ve listed a few platforms that have helped me embrace this theme thus far in 2021.
Masterclass: I’ve been using this platform to learn about a variety of skills; from cooking to make-up to random skills I’d never even thought of, like voice acting. I’m not holding myself to completing any certain program or mastering any of the skills mentioned. Just learning and enjoying the process along the way.
Obe: One positive thing that’s come out of the pandemic is the plethora of online fitness classes. I found this platform through one of the yoga teachers I used to love practicing with when I lived in NYC, Beth Cooke. I admittedly use the platform mainly to take her classes, but have also tried other classes I would never dream of taking in a group setting (mainly because I’m not coordinated and would feel embarrassed doing something like dance cardio in front of other people). I love the variety and I love the convenience.
Rosetta Stone: I’ve wanted to relearn French ever since I quit taking classes back in college, due to a terribly unpleasant professor. But again, I always put way too much pressure on myself to master the langue, which makes the process unenjoyable and hard to stick with. I love that Rosetta stone has an integrated app that makes it easy to learn in short bursts that I can do at my own convenience. Sometimes I’ll be on a roll and do it every day for weeks at a time. Other times, I’ll do a few classes here and there and pick it up again when my interest strikes. Will I become fluent in French throughout this process? Probably not. Will I enjoy learning and making new language connections? Most definitely.
These are just a few of the ways I’m embracing my curious spirit this year. I would love to hear what your goals are for the year, or if you have any ideas on how to be more curious.
Quote by Emily Abbate taken from ‘5-MINUTE FRIDAY: How to come back stronger after an injury — or any hurdle’ airing on November 20, 2020