Like most people, I made plans to improve myself in various ways on January 1st. Here is an account of my progress thus far.

The first and most evident resolution was to improve my health and reduce my weight. I have so far this year lost approximately 20 pounds! That may seem like an unhealthy amount of weight to lose in less than two months, but as an obese woman, it’s really quite slow,steady, and reasonable. I had been exercising and eating healthily 6 days a week, though I was sick for several days a couple of weeks ago. I have honestly been eating a lot more junk since then (though I’ve been grocery shopping and have all the fresh produce I need to get back on track!) and I am fully back on track with my exercise regime. I’m also looking forward to adding yoga and swimming to my daily and weekly routine, respectively, in March. Overall, I am super happy and proud of my progress!

My second resolution was to work harder at my business, including but not limited to: finding an indoor farmer’s market (I can’t work out in the sun in the summer because my products could potentially melt), getting my products into local shops, and more persistent online presence. I’m sorry to say that I’ve pretty much completely failed all-round. I have looked a bit for a farmer’s market, but so far I’ve come up empty. My main goal of selling in local shops has remained completely untouched. My self-confidence is my only hurdle here (more on that later). My online presence is consistent, but the quality of my content has not improved significantly, at least not how I would like. As March approaches, I look forward to a new burst of optimism towards this resolution as a whole!

Thirdly, I’ve been teaching myself self-love. Just writing that makes me feel embarrassed and weird. To be honest, I’ve never really liked anything about myself, been ashamed of myself, and in the worst of times, I fully and deeply hate myself. I don’t think I’m good at anything, and I don’t think I’m worthy of anything good. Logically I know this isn’t true, and I’m really, really trying to believe that in my heart. I listen to positive affirmations before bed. I’ve made a motivational video to watch in the morning while oil pulling (but I haven’t actually watched it yet… or started oil pulling for that matter). I’ve started physical therapy after many years without it for my back and general physical well-being. I’ve been journaling. I’m reading books, watching videos, listening to podcasts. I’m really excited to read my good friend Estefani Rondon’s book, A Life to Self Love, coming out in a couple of months. She is my hero and she’s awesome. My point is, I’m trying. I’m doing my best. And I’m doing better.

Well, that got rather moody, didn’t it? So that’s my two-month progress report, warts and all. I’d like to keep doing these, though I’m not sure of their regularity. Even if no one ever reads these, I like the accountability of putting here. Back to a cheerful subject with this Saturday’s Product Profile!