This week, I’d like to help inspire you to take action with an awesome and fun idea.

Create a Dream Jar!

Here’s what you do:

First, write down all the things that you aspire to accomplish in the coming year (or next 5 years). I’m going to use colored markers when I do this myself.

You can write down your dream ballet company or the promotion you’d like to receive, the next city you’d like to move to, body goals, technique goals, etc. Go big! Reach for even those seemingly far off goals.

Cut out each dream/goal and fold it in half.

Next, find a beautiful jar or get crafty and decorate a mason jar. Place all of your dreams inside your jar.

If it’s not quite filled to the brim – feel free to come up with some additional dreams!

Now, here’s the most important part. Every day, set aside a minute to spend with your dream jar. It might be helpful to do this at the same time each day.

Pick out one dream from the jar. Read that goal to yourself, close your eyes and visualize that dream as a reality. How would it feel for that dream to be real? What would your life be like? How would your situation be different? How would it be the same?

Believe it’s possible.

Your belief in your own ability is perhaps the biggest determining factor in your success. If you’re constantly telling yourself how impossible it is, I guarantee, it will be impossible.

I’d love to see your dream jar after you make it, send me a pic!!

If you want more on manifesting, check out this article and don’t worry, if manifesting isn’t your thing or this was a little too woo woo for you, The Whole Dancer Podcast is launching and has some super concrete info coming your way on:

• 3 larger meals vs. 6 small meals
• Establishing balance during Nutcracker season
• Sugar and Energy
• Holiday Eating

If you have topics you want me to cover, or questions you’d like me to answer, leave a comment below!

The post Dream Jar Magic – A Fun Way To Reignite Your Dreams Each And Every Day! appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

Most professional dancers can think back to one offhand comment that they’ve internalized and allowed to affect way too much of their dancing careers and psyche.

For me there were a couple that stand out. One when I was at the tender age of 14 and the other was during my second year in a professional company at age 23.

At 14, I had just returned from my first summer program away. I had developed some bad habits and worse, as I was going through puberty, I had gained some weight. I really wasn’t aware of it until I was sitting next to my ballet teacher one day, she patted me on the thigh and said, “that wasn’t there before.”

Game over.

In my 14 year old mind this was a clear indication that I needed to lose weight so I started a diet immediately. My mother was always very into the low – fat trend so I decided I wouldn’t eat any food with more than 3g of fat. 

I lost weight and became totally obsessed with the number on the scale. I weighed myself daily and soon started checking my weight more than once a day. It was completely unhealthy and totally disordered. I carried these practices with me through college and into my first professional job.

My weight fluctuated over the years but in my mind my thighs would always be too big.

I would hope that most teachers don’t make comments like this but I have heard way too many stories suggesting that many do. Young dancers have very fragile minds and whether you think so or not, they are likely astutely aware of what’s “wrong” with their bodies for ballet.

So clearly, I allowed that one comment to affect A LOT of my life for a long time. Too long.

Somehow, I was able to push through all of that self – loathing and doubt and actually get a job in a professional company, even though confidence was always a HUGE issue for me. I don’t think it’s possible to be truly confident when your self – talk is so critical and negative.

In the company, I was starting to think I was holding my own. I was working harder than I ever had before and getting positive feedback so I knew the artistic staff was taking notice.

Then, during a layoff in an optional company class the teacher made a totally offhand comment about my arms being short. This was news to me. No one had ever commented on the length of my arms before and since this is a physical “flaw” and clearly something I could do nothing about I got into a major comparison game over it.

Come on, how can you really dance when you’re totally pre – occupied with your legs AND your arms and noticing how much thinner, longer, and more beautiful everyone else’s limbs are.

Short answer: you can’t.

I didn’t last much longer after that. I did some freelance work in Boston but got injured shortly thereafter and stopped dancing altogether.

So lets talk about mindset because I think it’s one of the most important things dancers should work on and something most struggle with in one way or another. During the hard times, you can come back to these strategies for improving your thoughts:

1. Remember how far you’ve come. There was likely a time when you were pretty terrible at ballet. You were 8 or 9 and you thought you were great but you had a long way to go. Appreciate all the time, hard work and dedication you have put into this art form over the years.
2. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. If you’re constructively criticizing  yourself, that’s ok. We are all working to improve our technique and dancing abilities. However, if you have negative thoughts like “my thighs are huge” (been there, thought that) replace the sentiment with my legs are strong and allow me to dance. Which leads me to:
3. Find gratitude. When we’re struggling in class, rehearsals, or in life in general remembering all that we have can make a huge difference in mindset. Each day write down 2-3 things you’re grateful for and if you’re struggling with your body, or abilities, or casting, focus on those things (i.e. I am thankful for every opportunity I have to be on stage).
4. Set goals. This shifts the focus away from any gloomy thoughts that may be coming up. When you set a goal, it’s important to break it down into it’s smallest components. Then you’re able to celebrate each small victory.
5. Identify the stories or comments that have lead you to a difficult or doubtful place and continually discredit them. Find ways to make them constructive and encouraging.

With my examples above, my arms may be short but I can work on using them in ways that elongates their line. As for my thighs, I’m now at a place where I think they’re beautiful anyway but I’m also hyperextended so I can focus on making my legs super strong to support that desirable attribute.

Find your positives and work on your confidence. A confident dancer is spectacular to watch and you can all get there. Cultivate an optimistic mindset and self love and (I’ll be totally cliche here) dance like nobody’s watching.

If you’d like help identifying and overcoming the stories or incidence that may have impaired your confidence, set up a “To the Pointe” strategy session. I’d love to help you work through it and these sessions are only available through the end of November!

The post The Importance of Mindset… appeared first on The Whole Dancer.