Talk Derby to Me
I got a great New Year’s surprise this year: I am now a rookie member of the Gotham Girls Roller Derby Jeerleaders class of 2013. We went to a roller derby game (my first) this summer and I loved it so much that I wanted to be a part of it. Since I can’t make it up the hill on our street in my second hand roller skates, I knew competing was out of the question, but jeering (that’s right it’s jeerleading not cheerleading) seemed perfect for me.
I auditioned (learning a short dance routine) early last month along with about 15 other people, and I found our on New Years Day that I made it! I’m so excited! There is a party later this month where I find out what team I’m jeering for. But in the meantime I need to pick my derby name.
Derby names are usually punny (perfect for me right?) and sometimes a little violent. I’ve yet to come up with something I love. So that’s where you come in. Here are the names I’m thinking of so far: vote for your favorite or make your own suggestion.
And for your viewing pleasure, here is a video of jeerleaders in action:
Here I Come 2013: On Setting Intentions and Making Better Resolutions
Now, that I’ve reflected on all that 2012 held for me. I’m ready to look forward to the new year. As I’ve mentioned before I’m an enthusiastic list maker, so I’ve made resolutions every New Year for as long as I can remember. In fact, I found lists of resolutions that I forced my mom, brother (and yes even cat) make when I was a little girl.
In recent years I’ve started to try to distill my long list of resolutions down to just one focus for the year. Which has helped me keep it in mind. Another approach is having a new focus each month (I talked about this last year with Gretchen Rubin’s downloadable resolutions chart ).
The key to the success of both of these is that you are constantly checking in with your resolution– I posted my on my desk top, she puts a chart on her wall– it’s something you see every day. My over-arching resolution last year was to “try my best” I broke it down by month and I (of course) fell short a lot. But it was a helpful reminder when ever I saw it–like snapping a rubber band was I trying my best?
I’ve been thinking about the idea of repetition–mantra-like resolution making, and it made me think of the yoga ritual of setting an intention for the class. Setting an intention in a yoga class is something you do silently, it’s usually a single word like “focus” or “peace” or “ease” that you come back to again and again for that hour as your mind wanders or as you struggle in a pose. Kind of a perfect metaphor for a year with your resolution, isn’t it?
One thing I’m like to change about myself is my tendency to interrupt people, so now when someone is talking and I have something I want to add to or ask about what they are saying I repeat in my head “stop, listen, let them finish.”
Sometimes the mantra/resolution/intention that I need to repeat is just “breathe.” It’s really simple, but the simple things are often the ones that work.
Here is a sample of some of the other resolution advice that I’ve come across this week that I like:
From Fast Company:
1. Make a map and/or write a letter to your future self. Look back at 2012 and celebrate your successes and identify your failures. (Kate Note: this is similar to the reflection I talked about in the previous post) Map what you learned from both and think about what you want to change in the year ahead. Define what success looks like for 2013, setting audacious and achievable goals. Envision what you want the year to look like, literally. Write a list by month, write a year-end letter to yourself, or build a dream board, but don’t go into 2013 without knowing what you want success to look like. Map out how you’ll get there and what resources you’ll need.
2. Trash the small stuff. Like most people, you probably waste too much time on the small, insignificant, time-sucking, going-nowhere stuff. Make a list of the things you do that waste time every day and list what you’re going to do to change your behavior.
3. Focus on the intention underneath the resolution. What are seven to 10 reasons you have for wanting to take on that goal? Now, when you reflect back (once a week, once a month) on the “new year’s” resolution, you have some more objective line items to which to compare your progress over time.
4. Make your goals challenging. While we often play it safe, fearing that if the goal is too difficult we won’t be able to achieve it, making goals challenging is the key to their success. By demanding more of yourself a, it forces you to harness your energy, engage with the goal and in exchange, experience the same sort of adrenaline rush as you get when crossing the finish line of a marathon.
A Year in Kate 2012
Well, it’s nearly a day into 2013. But before I look forward the year’s potential, I need to close the book on 2012.
As I’ve mentioned, I’m a sucker for goals, plans, resolutions and all things lists. And last year I found a great reflection prompt. Here’s my new year’s post on KateAsana from last year it includes the template for the reflection.
But for you now I’ll share my highlight reel of 2012:
January
- I taught a 4-week yoga class at the Brooklyn Zen Center, and taught both preschool and Kindergarten yoga.
- Mark and I went to the Holiday train show at the botantical gardens, the transit museum, and the Chinese New Year parade
February
- I tried out Bikram Yoga
- We started taking ballroom dancing lessons
- I wrote a travel article for Popular Photography and an article for Time Out New York
March
- Mark and I started going to 1920s-themed parties, turning me into a Jazz Age enthusiast.
- We went to the orchid show at the botanical garden
- We traveled to PA for Mark’s grandmother’s 95th birthday
- I joined Pinterest and quickly became addicted
- I took up watercolor painting (kind of)
- I took up Zumba and quickly became addicted
- I had a fun bachlorette party
April
- I tried out anti-gravity yoga
- We went to an amazing music of Jim Henson concert at Carnegie Hall, and visited the Brooklyn botanical garden
- I learned HTML (kind of)
- My book club pals and I started grown up slumber parties, which are a blast
- I turned 31 and celebrated by going dancing, eating lots of good food, and painting pottery
- I started this blog
May
- We saw Feist at Radio City
- Mark and I celebrated 4 years together by going out to dinner and row-boating in Central Park
- We traveled to Michigan for my bridal shower, rehearsal, rehearsal lunch, and the main event: OUR WEDDING!! (truly one of the most amazing days of my life)
June
- We spent a week in California for our honeymoon in Santa Barbara, Carmel, Napa, and Sausalito, where we went horse back riding, rode in a hot air balloon, went to the Montery Bay Aquarium, Muir Woods, went wine tasting, got massages, drove a mini cooper convertible, and ate tons of great food.
- We went to Belmont and bet on the ponies
- I wrote a travel feature for AAA New York
- My Little Sister graduated from high school
- We went to the Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governors Island
- We went to movies in Bryant Park, and comedy central in Central Park, Shakespeare in the park, and a Yankees game, the Philharmonic in Prospect Park, and the Met rooftop
- We marched in the Mermaid Parade as “Merman and Wife”
- I did yoga in Times Square
July
- We went to a 4th of July picnic in the park and a roof top Jazz Age party
- We went to Governors Island and rode a bicycle built for two
- I took a sewing class and learn to sew (pretty much)
- I found out that I got a full time job!
- We went to several outdoor movies, biked a lot, went to the beach and public pools, went kayaking, and took a few day trips to places like Long Beach, Poughkeepsie, and Wave Hill
August
- I started my new job!
- A group of pals went to the second Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governors Island
- We went to more outdoor movies, Shakespeare in the Park again, and Circ De Soeli at Radio City
- I went to my first roller derby game and decided I wanted to be a jeerleader
- I taught a four-week yoga class in Prospect Park and met a new student who I’ve been teaching privately ever since
- We competed in the Great Urban race
September
- Mark turned 35 and we had a backyard BBQ birthday party
- We traveled to PA for Labor Day weekend and went to Dorney Park
- We rode 35 miles in the Century Bike Tour
- I did 108 Sun Salutations to raise money for the YMCA
- We traveled to PA again for Mark’s cousin’s twin’s 1st birthday party and took our niece to Hersey Park
- We went to the Maker Faire in Queens
October
- We went for a hike in NJ with pals
- My mom came to visit for a long weekend and we toured much of NYC
- We had our annual Halloween party, then Mark lost his camera with all the photos from it
- Hurricane Sandy hit.
November
- We spent several weekend volunteering for hurricane relief
- We attending a great election night party and celebrated Obama’s win
- We went to the amazing show Sleep No More
- We had friends over for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner
December
- We prepared for the holidays: baking, wrapping and sending gifts, watching Christmas movies, decorating, going to parties, ise skating, looking at holiday windows, going to holiday markets, and making gifts at the crafternoon, etc.
- I tried out to be Gotham Girls Roller Derby Jeerleader
- I got a new fish
- I went to a taping of the View and won a bunch of toys (that we donated)
- We had Mark Day 2012, in which we ate a lot and when to the Natural History Musuem
- We traveled to PA for Christmas and rang in the New Year in Brooklyn with dinner, board games, and fireworks in the Park.
And that’s my 2012 in a nutshell. It was certainly a memorable year. Next post: Looking ahead to 2013.
