This year came and went so quickly… Here’s what I’ve learned along the way

Carly Fleischer, head coach of Moxie Barbell, hiking in a canyon

I honestly can’t believe I’m sitting down to write about 2023 because it feels like we were just ringing in the New Year. This year has been a whirlwind to say the least. I think like most of us, I’ve had some very high highs and some extremely low lows. The thing that feels striking to me looking back though is realizing that I wouldn’t change a thing about how it transpired. It’s so easy in the moment to wish things were different or easier but I really do look back with so much gratitude for how everything happened and it’s clear that without the challenges, the highs wouldn’t have been the same. And maybe that’s something that comes as we get older; having more experiences in our arsenal for comparison it becomes clear that without the preceding events, what happened after wouldn’t be the same.

Looking back at photos from 2023 brings 3 words to mind to sum up this year:

Adventure, Discomfort, and Growth

Adventure: 2023 was full of experiences; in fact I felt like I was always on the go. And in the moment that felt sometimes exhausting, like I couldn’t wait to have a series of weeks without something throwing me out of my routine. But I think what I’ve learned is that this is actually the way that I like it. If I wanted my life to slow down, then I’d make it slow down. Instead I did the opposite; I leaned in to travel, new experiences, activities, business endeavors, and more.

Discomfort: I’ll be honest, this year was tough. It pushed me to explore parts of myself that I was trying to avoid; scared of what it would feel like to inhabit the unknown. For the first time this year I became a 100% solo entrepreneur; quitting my full time training gig to pursue Moxie full time. Being self-reliant in this way is epic and fulfilling but it’s also scary as hell. But my biggest lesson of this year came from learning to embrace the discomfort that I have habitually run away from. I’ve learned that I can feel uncomfortable AND still do the damn thing. This is the year that I broke free of the shackles of self-perceived limitations. Turns out that I don’t have to obey every thought that enters my head.

Growth: A year of adventure and discomfort bread growth. And this one might be cliche because I think every year we all want to reflect on the past and believe that we’ve internalized our experiences to become stronger. But I hope this is a cliche I can honestly include in my reflection every year. I’m a constantly evolving human and growth is one of my most core values. After all, what’s the point of enduring the challenges and reveling in your successes if not to provide lessons that inform your future? This year I have grown as a partner, friend, business owner, and coach. But most importantly I’ve grown in my ability to self reflect and not let my thoughts dictate my actions; to actually take control of my life without pumping the brakes because it feels hard or scary.

So thank you 2023 for the belly laughs, air miles, friendships, baked goods, beautiful memories, and hard earned lessons. Let’s see what 2024 has in store!

Train with Moxie