What is holding back your style? My Personal February Style Challenge

We all have our own style challenges. You know, those things that we just are not good at. Those things outside our comfort zones. Those things we should do, but don’t or do do but shouldn’t. Maybe we always wear pants. Maybe we never wear heels. Maybe we don’t wear orange. Or maybe we love the spikes so popular right now in jewelry, but are just not sure if they are us. Maybe we only wear our hair down. Or up. We live in yoga pants.

I know I have a lot of areas I’m not good in or I’m down right lazy about. I have my own style comfort zones. But I want to get better. I want to be aware, and then I want to change it.

So, I’m starting my own personal style challenge. Join me! Each month I’m going to come up with a personal style challenge and I’m going to work to correct that challenge over the month. I’ll report back (and maybe along way) on how it went. Maybe I’ll share pictures of my success or failure.

This month, I’m giving myself two challenges:

• Posture: My posture has gotten bad. I blame it on work (I work on the couch too often and hunch over the computer) and all the breastfeeding and holding of my Griffin when he was younger (plus I went up a cup size permanently and several while breast feeding). I think the bad shoulder dislocation I suffered two years also led to me hunching more to protect it. Look at my excuses! No more excuse. I am working on it now. If my posture is better, I will look (and actually be) taller, thinner, and my breasts will look bigger and firmer. My back will hurt less. My head will hurt less. I am already working on this, but I thought I would include it to give myself more accountability.
• Ponytails: I hate having my hair in my face. But I love long hair on me. So I tend to throw it back in a ponytail. It’s quick, it’s easy, and my fly-away thin hair is likely to stay more or less out of my face. Great. Except boring. I need to do more with my hair. So, I’m going to work on being less lazy and do other things with my tresses.

Game plan:

"Without a plan, there's no attack. Without attack, no victory." - Curtis Armstrong

See a pony tail. And probably bad posture.

Posture:

• Awareness and self-correct: Simply being aware of the problem helps. The I can correct it when I notice problems.  
• Yoga with a back and posture focus at least three times a week: I love the Yogamazing app and will use this. I already did a tight shoulder one this morning. 
• Plank: I’ll do the plank twice each day
• Exercises: I’ll do my shoulder and back exercises I should be doing in the afternoons
• Advice: I will talk to my massage therapist (who owns the Posture Project—good choice, right?) for other ideas
• Massage: I’ll get two massages, because we have to make it enjoyable

Ponytails:

• Limit: No more than two plain ponytails a week
• Braids: I suck at braids, but I will try one a week
• Research: I will check out cool hairstyles and tutorials
• Try: I will try those new styles

I am giving myself a minor exception to this style challenge. I’m having outpatient nasal surgery on the 10th and am going to give myself a few days, if needed, to put my hair back in a ponytail and not do yoga or other stretches, which might be rather painful for a bit. Recovering is more important.

So, what about you? Do you have any personal style challenges you want to conquer? If so, join me! Choose a challenge, develop a plan, and let’s kick those style challenges to the curb! Use the tag #WorkingMyPersonalStylechallenge to show us what you are doing.

Do let me know your challenges, plans, and how it goes!

Another ponytail. Doesn't this cute guy deserve a mom who stands up ovelyy tL and can do more than ponytails?

Lovely picture, right? Cute kid. Cure jacket. Lovely falls and rocks in the background. But, look! A ponytail and bad posture! Photo taken at Screw Auger Falls, in Grafton, Maine.