Looking back - 2013 edition

It is again that time of the year when I like to sit down and reflect on the past 12 months.

As I wrote on my blog My 2013 Commitments, I do not feel comfortable with the word resolutions. On that entry, I shared the list of things I wanted to achieve throughout the year. And here it is how it went...

Open Limburg, April 2013, in the Netherlands

• Get competition ready by the beginning of April
• I made it! Yes!! My performance during the Open of Limburg was my best so far and I'm incredibly happy of what I accomplished then despite all the odds.
• Keep on improving as an athlete
• The road was bumpy in 2013 and I did have some unexpected set backs who forced me out of driver's seat of my training. However, during my hiatus, I took time to learn, improve and become a more conscious player of the game. Mission accomplished!
• Give the first steps towards a pro-card
• This is a tricky one. Acquiring a pro-card in my age sounds almost like a mission impossible in Europe. It is not like I have given up, but it is not in the spotlight for me at the moment. First, I want to improve my physique, then compete and who knows, achieve the pro-card once experience meets the 'perfect' shape.
• Finish the Personal Trainer course
• This was the only total no-show of the year... I did not make it to finish the course within the expected timeframe, and as I noticed that the near future was not looking any better, I did not even requested an extension. It is something I still would like to finalize, but I will only jump in a training again when I feel I will be able to conclude it.
• Progress professionally
• I consider myself a lucky person for working on something I really like. I found 'home' in IT and I am looking forward improving every day.

Hormone free liver and organic broccoli and beta

• Become a more patient, organized and relaxed person (=zen)
• I would love to say that I got it 100%, but it would not be the truth. I am a little more organized and I am moving forward. Maybe not as fast as I wanted to, however, I am not putting pressure on myself. After all, being patient and relaxed are also part of the plan.
• Sleep more
• Sleeping enough still means a battle to me. I come from periods of total rest, to various sleepless nights (like in the past 3 weeks, for instance). I have not been able to figure out what works better for me and what not. Since I stopped doing cardio in the morning though, I gained an extra hour per day which is being quite helpful.
• Embrace a natural life style
• It is fun to see that my last topic was exactly the one in which I booked the most improvement. I changed my sources of protein to hormone free meat and poultry; went organic when it comes to fruit and vegetables; and cut gluten from my diet. The results were immediate and I still cannot believe it myself. I simply don't want to go back!

2013 was the year when I had the chance to attend the Arnold Classic Brazil as well as BodyPower in UK. Thanks to these events, I had the chance to meet some of my idols in person which is an experience I will never forget!

Nathalia Melo and me at BodyPower 2013

Around June, I made the decision to switch from Bikini to Figure, and more recently, to take a break from competitions so that I first build the body of my dreams without jeopardizing my health or my other responsibilities.

I am not waiting for 2014 to arrive to put my following commitments into practice. However, I will not write about them today.

And you? How did it go with your New Year's resolutions/commitments for 2013? Have you taken time to review and evaluate them? It can be a more rewarding experience that you can imagine. And even if you think that things could have gone better, this exercise will help you assess your goals for the year to come. Remember to make them SMART : Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound.

Let's do it!