Jeans: Mango Flared Jeans | Belt: Gucci Belt | Sweater: Ann Taylor Spotted Mock Neck Sweater | Pumps: Steve Madden Daisie Pump | Purse: Tory Burch Miller Clutch | Sunglasses: Diff Eyewear Dash Sunglasses | Earrings: Kenneth Jay Lane Stud Earrings | Rings: David Yurman Wheaton Ring & David Yurman Albion Petite Ring | Bracelets: David Yurman Cable Classics Bracelets | Watch: Michele Deco Diamond Watch | Lips: Smashbox Always on Matte Liquid Lipstick in ‘Stepping Out’

Photography by Erin Trimble Photography

I can’t believe 2019 is here! We had such an amazingly productive January 1! J and I got in a crazy good workout, Kentucky won {this one is for Jordan.  I think it was football? whatever}, put away the remainder of the Christmas decorations, cleaned the whole house {including things that needed to be organized like files, bills, etc.}, and then ended it with a family dinner and a movie night!

If you were hungover January 1…my sincerest apologies.  Been there, done that.  It’s like the Sunday scaries x 10.

Today, I wanted to chat a little bit about my New Year’s Resolutions! I’ve never really had a resolution, if we’re being honest.  I’ve always had a healthy lifestyle and I’ve always been interested in fitness, so I never had a real life changing moment on January 1.  I strive each day of EVERY year to put my health first and to treat my body like a temple, and I advocate that y’all do the same!

If you’ve been following along on Insta Story, you know that I’ve had a recent health scare {unrelated to fitness or nutrition}, which I will be writing a different blog post about — just need to get a few more doctor appointments out of the way before doing so.  This health scare gave me a new perspective on life.  I know that is a bit dramatic, but when you’re in the routine of daily life, you forget to be thankful and to realize how blessed you are.  My dad said it best at our wedding during his speech, always live in the moment.

My health scare really had me thinking — if {God forbid} something were to have happened, if I hadn’t caught the PEs on time, would I be able to answer this question: Am I currently the best version of myself? Obviously, there’s always room for improvement, but I realized that I could make some pretty great strides if I kicked off the New Year with THAT question.  So, with the start of the New Year, I would like to challenge and better myself personally, professionally, and spiritually.

Many of you know that I’m Catholic, and I’d like to consider myself ‘religious’. We try to make it a priority to take that hour out of my week to detach from the world and pray, even though sometimes life gets in the way of that.  So, this year, I would like to still make Mass a priority every week.  Another thing that I don’t think I do enough is give back.  Yes, I give back by donating $,  BUT I don’t mean monetary — I mean my time. This year I’ve promised myself to volunteer more.  Do more selfless things that can help shape our community. I love kids and a few friends and I have chatted about volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House! All ideas are welcome in the comments below!

Another resolution of mine has to do with getting outside of my comfort zone. I remember the days when I was out of my comfort zone walking onto the weight floor — and now, it feels like home.  So much so that I decided to launch FITwithASD.com {@fitwithasd} this past year! As with everything, I’m itching to try something new, to not only challenge my body, but also my mind.  Yoga has always put me out of my comfort zone and makes me feel so dang uncomfortable.  A yoga mat is much different than a squat rack, but how do you grow if you don’t put yourself outside of your comfort zone, right? So, another 2019 resolution is that I’m going to attempt to try yoga this year {don’t worry, it won’t affect my FITwithASD workouts, but only supplement them}.  I’m sure physically, it will be challenging {I have the balance of a 5 year old and can’t touch my toes}, but I think I’m in need of a mental break for one hour every week. I think it’s also healthy to put yourself in new circumstances with new faces.  There’s nothing more uncomfortable than taking a new ‘class’ with people you’ve never met before.  I’m hoping that this resolution will refuel me every week!

2019 is going to be an amazing year and I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone too! What are some of your resolutions?