Thoughts on Motivation, Discipline, & the Preservation of my Sanity

To say I’ve had a hell of a day would be an understatement. Not in a bad way - by no means am I saying I’ve had a bad day, in fact, quite the opposite! But, there has been a LOT going on in my life as of late. So much so, that even my boy-craziness has subsided (I’m probably jinxing myself and it’ll be back in full force tomorrow😭).

This past week at home felt like my first true off week in a while, and the time made me feel reflective! If you want a closer look at what I got up to while at home, enjoy my FIRST EVER off-week vlog! This was surprisingly really fun to do for me and if you’re an avid vlog watcher, I think you’ll be able to tell that my energy at home is very different than it is when I’m on the road. Some are saying it’s my best vlog yet… just saying🤷🏽‍♀️

In all honesty guys, I think PPA Newport took a lot out of me. Some of you guys saw me breakdown and cry in my car from anxiety/panic, and I just haven’t been feeling FULLY myself since that week. Don’t get me wrong, and definitely don’t worry about me, I’m doing really well, but it just feels like I’ve been relying more on my habits than a true feeling of intense motivation since then. I’ve had some other things going on that have been… draining to say the least, but I’m keeping it all in perspective.

I feel like there are three things that really carry me through these more challenging seasons.

I’m eternally thankful that I am psycho enough that I’ve put myself in a lot of tough situations in my life and seen myself come out of them. Setting out to and completing hard things is like building up a body of evidence you can use to prove to yourself that you can, in fact, do anything. Nothing builds belief like completing or accomplishing something you initially found daunting. This season will pass for me (and for you too if you’re in one!), and like Alisa Liu said - struggling is part of being ALIVE!!! And for that, I am eternally grateful.

Of all of my fans, you guys know me better than anyone, and y’all KNOW I’m over here doing the absolute most. Is it on occasion too much? Yes. Do I sometimes get a lot of anxiety from all the things I take on? Yes. Would I have it any other way? No.

My goal is to EAT, in every way. I want to be the best version of myself on the court, off the court, and everything in between. I want to grow my personal brand, my professional brand, and the entire sport of pickleball even! So yeah, there’s a lot on my plate, but I have so many amazing people in my corner (hehe, you❤️), and the thought of only playing pickleball now feels… so boring and unfulfilling to me. My life is full, and for better or worse, my brain is always coming up with new ways to make it fuller.

The big area I’m learning to get better at is asking for help. I have some amazingggg people in my life who are happy, willing, and WANTING to help, which I am ETERNALLY grateful for. Having people who can take the load off (even if I pay some of them LOL), has been incredible. The other big thing I’ve been doing is saying NO to things that don’t feel right to me, along with continuing to go on side quests that bring me joy. I think whimsy is so important, and even a significant factor of compatibility in both friendships and romantic relationships. Did you guys see my solo trip to Zion the other day? I think continuing to seek out adventures like this and things that break the norm is a huge priority for me. I have to LIVE even when I’m on the road all the time.

I’m sorry guys - not my best newsletter, but the writers block has been real, and I thought I’d just write from the heart🤷🏽‍♀️. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows! I’m very lucky that even when I’m “not doing my best” by my standards, things are still going absolutely incredibly on all fronts, and I’m still feeling happy 85% of the time. PPA Red Rock is off to a great start, and I LOVE Utah. I hope to keep the momentum going and to be leaving with a few more medals around my neck (:

Thanks for the support always❤️ XOXO, your internet bestie, Anna❤️