When You Let Go And Ride

Too often, my lessons feel like an exercise in proving just how much I’ve forgotten about riding as I fight the urge to apologize to my horse and my instructor while insisting that I do indeed know that my butt is supposed to stay IN the saddle. The magic of the off-season is giving ourselves time to let g0 and ride.

If you’ve poked around If The Saddle Fits, you know that I’m all about goals – big or small. I’m achievement driven so I tend to focus on things that are measurable or can be finished and crossed off my list. On one hand, that mental self-push is the primary reason that I have been able to build a career that allows me to work from home, and finally start knocking out some major life goals. On the other, though, it is so easy to let that to do list pull your focus away from the now and all the joy to be found there.

Between vet appointments, a little bit of rehab, my trainer’s show schedule and my busy work schedule, I didn’t take any lessons in October. I just started back last week. As much as I’ve loved my 2x/week dressage lessons this year, the unintentional break turned out to be exactly what I needed even if I didn’t know it. For the last 6 or so weeks, I rode about twice each week. There was a lot of trail riding as the temperature slowly cooled down and the leaves began to change and drop. If I didn’t make it out to the barn when I planned, I didn’t stress because the goal right now was simply for Elf to relax and be in the right frame of mind when we started back to work. I didn’t realize it, but I needed the same thing.

I made some big riding goals in 2015 – and I hit them all. It wasn’t smooth sailing though. Both Elf and I were learning a new discipline and getting back into the show ring after an almost 2 year break. He hates warm up rings. And all of this learning and growth had to take place around a busy life – as a mom, wife, and business owner. But I had goals, so I made the time. I learned, I did my best, and I ended up doing what I set out to accomplish.

Now, I’m embracing a new goal. I’m back to my lessons because the eyes on the ground and feedback is invaluable for improving my riding. I’m also scheduling time each week for rides outside the arena. We’re going to focus on fun and relaxation – which is just as essential for progress as all the muscle development and retraining we worked on during the show season. I’m going to make a point to enjoy the now part of getting to my next set of goals.

Like most things in life, the lessons we learn in the saddle translate to other aspects of life. It is incredibly gratifying to see my business develop and grow. It’s also time consuming. I have to remember that my professional life can have an “off season” too. While I’m still working, it’s ok to switch the focus from growth to stabilization for a while. More than being okay, I need to take the time to enjoy what I am able to do and the flexibility it offers. Without doing that, burnout is just around the corner.

So, I’ve marked out some holiday time that I’ll step away from social media and turn off the email notifications on my phone. I’ve scheduled my out of office email response. And I’ll take the opportunity to just breath, to let go and go along for the ride.

Do  you give yourself an “off” season?