2023 GOAL POST!

Well, 2022 was a wash. I didn't achieve any of the goals I had set myself. I did not anticipate being plagued with health issues/surgery in the Fall so that really threw me off. I feel like I was on track to at least make 2/3 of my 2022 goals. Sigh. 

2022 Goals - I had three goals for myself this past year. Goal 1 was to pass all three of my Bronze Pattern Dances. The plan was to test them in the Fall and we know what happened with that. All three dances have been learned and are currently getting worked on again so it will happen. I'll roll this goal over to 2023. Goal 2 was to test and pass my Solo Free Dance. I did an exhibition with it back in May that went well and I competed with it this past September and that also went well. It's ready to test. It's been ready to test. I just couldn't make it happen while I was benched. I'll roll that one over as well. Finally, Goal 3 was to be able to run the entirety of the Bracket pattern from Gold Moves. While the other two goals failed because of being sidelined by surgery, this one failed because of fear. This one is totally on me. While I conquered my fear of the FO Brackets (which took months), I'm still struggling with the backward Brackets. Until I can do those reasonably well, I cannot run the complete pattern. I'm not going to beat myself up entirely on this because I have made a lot of progress on these turns. Like I mentioned, the FO Brackets brought out so much fear but I have been working on them a lot in practice and can do them fearlessly away from the boards. I'm practicing the BO/BI Brackets (even though I'm still stuck at the boards on these). So, it will come in time. Remember, it took me a year and a half just to get the LBO 3 turn and well over a year to finally get a grip on the Backward Circle 8. So, things are happening. I just need to keep at it. Now, on to new goals!

2023 Goals 

• Goal 1: Test the Things! - As I told Christopher earlier this week, this is the Year of Testing! All of the tests that I didn't get to do last Fall are getting done this year. I'm looking to pass all three Bronze Pattern Dances (Hickory, Willow, and Ten Fox). I want to be #OfficiallySilver and test my Silver Free Skate. Finally, I've been skating my Solo Free Dance for almost a year. It's time to get that one tested too. 

• Goal 2: Organize the Things! - In my last post, I talked about being more organized with my practice sessions to ensure that everything gets a chance to get worked on (even the scary things that I tend to punk out on). I've already come up with a practice strategy and tested it out and I think it will work for me. I just have to stick with it.
   
• Goal 3 - Stop Being Scared of Things! -  I feel like this is always a goal but one that I'm not very good at sticking with. Skating in your 40s is hard, ya'll. Bones break, you're not as bendy as the small children, and fear is REAL. I'm not going to sit here and vow never to be scared because that's just not realistic. But, what I do have control over is pushing myself to give time to the elements that scare me. Even if that time is spent at the boards for a few months working on Brackets before I'm brave enough to try them out on open ice. I've already made strides with this. I'm forcing myself to work on the things that scare me during practices and, by organizing my sessions, I'm making sure that I set aside time to do that so that there are no excuses. 

So, there you have it. These are relatively modest goals but they are ones I think I can easily achieve this year (provided my body doesn't try to kill me again, lol).