HELLO RASCALS!
I just wanted to check in first before writing this piece by saying SORRY for my lack of social/cyber presence over the past month or so. I have been busy travelling through the UK (touched on below) and took some time to truly ‘switch off’ which unfortunately meant switching off simplystorm for a wee bit. I’m back now and ready to share some exciting new things with you! But first, I want you to read my thoughts on some crucial life learnings from 2017…
Enjoy xo
BALANCE
In September, I was working 40 hour weeks. In October, I was non-stop training leading into the Fast5 world series. In November, I travelled to the other side of the world to see some sights, laugh with friends, eat with friends and dance with friends. Now here I am in December, paranoid about how to get my life back into routine, back into my norm, back into balance.
The second half of 2017 obviously didn’t pan out the way I had hoped (read: omission from Silver Ferns). This is international sport; I am young; It happens. While not a complete surprise, I don’t think I had properly planned for ‘plan b’. Meaning, the last few months have been just a tad crazy. Crazy is good. If you haven’t already noticed, I love crazy. It’s certainly kept me on my toes, introduced me to some incredible people and experiences, and taught me a lot about one of life’s most crucial paradoxes – balance.
As a contracted national netball player, you are generally always given November ‘off’. This is usually the month that most like to get some travelling, socializing or bucket-list-ticking in. For the other 11 months of the year, our training and playing schedule is demanding and there is barely a free weekend among them. This means, some girls (me) really push the boat out in November to make the most of the prescribed downtime. This year (even though I technically wasn’t contracted for the 12 months… details that we can ignore for the point of this blog) I decided to jet across to the UK and visit some of my closest and oldest friends, experience an All Blacks test abroad, drink and eat cheese, and shop. A lot. It was an incredible trip and one I felt I truly needed after another incredibly demanding prior 10 months.
At the conclusion of the Fast 5 World Series at the end of October, the last thing I felt like doing was continuing my (believe it or not) mundane routine of 6am trainings, 8-hour work days, weekly physio and massage (not the nice kind) appointments, Pilates, yoga, sponsorship commitments and community giveback. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE that this is my life and feel truly lucky that the above (minus the 8-hour work day anomaly) is what I call my day-to-day routine. It’s usually not mundane at all and every day brings something new. However, eventually I began to realize I was not looking forward to getting up and starting the next day. I was no longer craving the challenge of tomorrow’s training or the reward of being able to spark something in our youth. I needed a break, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
3 weeks away was the perfect amount. I know this because I have come back excited about digging into some hard yards in the tin shed, excited about cooking again and eating how I know makes me feel energized and healthy, excited about the prospect of meeting some more aspiring netball superstars. The kind of excitement that was lacking from my life 3 weeks ago. It would be fair to say that in 2017, I didn’t quite nail it. Full time netball (over it and ready for full time work) followed by full time work (over it and ready for full time play) followed by full time play (over it and ready for full time netball) … In 2018, I look forward to mastering the fine art of life balance by reprising my full-time Cure Kids role under part-time status during the season, scheduling in regular time for friends and family, being smart about the social events I say yes or no to, and treating myself to life’s sweeter things every now and then when appropriate. In achieving so, I hope that come November I won’t be desperate to derail and will enjoy the mental break from netball but will continue to live my tried and true balanced life… with a little added pinot, perhaps 😉
Storm xo
