I hope 2018 was a really successful year of dancing for you. Did you hit those goals and work on the areas that you knew needed attention? If not – don’t worry – you’re not alone!
As December rolls on, I’m finding myself reflecting on the year that’s now nearly gone, and although I’ve already done a lot of my planning for 2019, I’ll still take time out over the next month to re-evaluate and tweak as needed. I hope you will do the same – as there’s nothing like the symbolic ‘fresh start’ of a new year to incorporate changes and define new goals. Not the unrealistic ones, or the so called ‘New Year Resolutions’ – but proper achievable and not least measurable goals, that will keep you on the right track and inspire you to be the best that you can be in the coming months.
I’m all about planning and goal setting – didn’t you know! It’s something I learned from a very young age when I was dancing and competing at a high level in Ballroom and Latin, and a tool I’ve actively used ever since.
Read my blog about effective goal setting here.
So in case you’re wondering – no, I don’t always achieve what I set out to do, but sometimes that might be just the right thing, as it forces me take stock and reconsider why that was. Mostly I find it’s because I didn’t really want it in the first place, so the motivation and focus was lacking right from the beginning.
Circumstances also change, and since having my little baby boy, priorities has certainly shifted, which means long term goals and planning has too. But I always celebrate all the little detours, as they’ve taught me some valuable lessons and not least meant I’ve meet some amazing people along the way. So even if you didn’t get to tick off all those goals on your list – make sure to celebrate those you did and not least all experiences you had along the way.
What I’ll be celebrating and why
Here are five things I’ll be celebrating and lingering upon in the next couple of weeks:
- My Advance Your Dance Online went live and had a massive influence on the participants dancing.
- My online teaching in general went from strength to strength and I was asked to lead a session for other teachers on how best to do it at the JWAAD Summer School.
- I returned to performing with the acclaimed Johara Dance Company, even if it was tough and meant another evening during the week away from my little boy.
- I returned to my Ballroom and Latin roots and started teaching as well as performing it again.
- Despite having semi-retired from performing, I seemed to have more bookings than ever before in 2018!
I’m not listing these to show off or brag, but to be honest and share an insight into my dance business and goal setting. But also so others can get a real feeling and understanding for what it is I’m talking about when referring to ‘celebrating success’.
Success looks different for everyone, and only you can define what is right for you and your circumstances. You should definitely never compare yourself to another dancer or be tempted to believe that their successes are more important or vital than yours. It can be tough when you see all the shiny and glossy photos on social media – but the reality is often very far from the image portrayed.
What’s next?
2019 is promising to be an exciting year of dancing. I’ve already got several live workshops planned in, and will also be teaching on several of the accredited JWAAD belly dance training courses from February onwards. Check out my events schedule – more are likely to be added over the coming weeks.
I’m also really excited to be launching another Advance Your Dance Online starting in February, so if you’re keen to work on those aspects of your dancing that you know need attention, then this is the time and course to join.
Live sessions and a 1-2-1 will help uncover what you need to gain, and the course is then structured to help support your dancing and learning as much as possible. Places are limited because it’s such a highly interactive course, but being taught online, it means you can join from anywhere and at any time. The last course had students from the US, Denmark and England, all learning together. Find out more here.
Finally, there will also be a slight change to my blog and inspirational emails from January 2019, which will mean you’re likely to miss out on updates unless you’re signed up to receive my emails or are a member of my Bellydance Mastermind Network on facebook (a knowledge sharing and supportive network all about dance technique, business and performances). I vet all those wanting to join my facebook group, to ensure it stays a useful and supportive network for dancers, so please feel free to join if you’re not already a member.
Over to you…
I hope this article has given you a bit of an insight into my dance life and business, and hopefully made you feel more happy about the successes you’ve had in 2018, and less worried about the stuff that didn’t happen. As that saying goes “life is what happens whilst you’re busy making plans” and sometimes the best planning in the world doesn’t work out. Some people just aren’t into planning in the first place, and if you’re doing it just for the sake of it – then it probably won’t make you any more motivated or happy in the long run.
Whichever approach works for you, I hope you take time out over the busy month ahead to pause and celebrate all the wonderful things that have happened in your life over the past many months. May your new year be full of new opportunities and successes.
Happy dancing – always 😉
Dorte
Did you miss my last post? Read it here: How to thrive this festive season as a dancer
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