Aerial Dance is a commitment. Regardless of how you look at it or what level you are at, or even if you are a loved one to someone who participates in Aerial, it is a commitment. As students, that commitment means also committing to ourselves, committing to showing up, committing to trying, committing to not being good at something, committing to putting in effort. It means committing energy toward movement. It means, as women, that we are committing to do something that is good for us. Like, personally, for our bodies, souls, and overall well being. I am unaware of what it is, however, I am certain there is a statistic out there that would show exactly how difficult it is for most women to commit to doing something for themselves. It does not come natural for many, to be able to commit to something that, by default only “benefits” themselves.
I have found that at times, the hardest part about commitment is doing it. The follow through isn’t always, and I’d even say, is hardly ever the “difficult” part of committing. It is making the conscious decision to do the thing. Making the conscious decision to say, I am going to prioritize my time for any given activity, can be a lot. At times, that commitment means you do less of something else or you need to arrange for someone else to help you with other responsibilities. For me, committing to a class means I have also arranged someone else to be responsible for my kiddos, I have provided food for my little one, and probably at least a handful of other things went into being able to commit to class. We may not all be mothers but we all have lives. And we are all well aware that there is a finite amount of time in each day. No matter how we try to stretch it out, there are still only 24 hours per day. Only 24 hours for us to make commitments and follow through on them.
I have found the easiest way for me to get to the studio as much as I would like it to commit in advance. Because I know it is so much easier for me to come up with an endless list of other things that could prioritize the time,I try to look at least a week in advance, or at times longer, and register for as many classes as currently fit into my schedule. If I commit in advance I have already dedicated that time to me. Now, if something else comes up, I feel as though I not only need to cancel on myself but also on the instructor. I do end up early canceling out of some classes due to changes in my calendar, however, I show up to so much more, simply because I committed in advance.
Try it out. Commit to practices. Commit to classes. Commit in advance, so if you decide not to follow through, you have to make the conscious decision to uncommit. And most importantly, make the conscious decision to commit to yourself.