The Publisher’s Perspective

PHOTO BY MEGAN BLACK PHOTOGRAPHY

A few weeks ago, in the midst of feeling overwhelmed and a bit ‘out of control’ of my life (by out of control, I am referring to my eating and spending habits, my anxiety levels weren’t in check, etc.), I decided to implement a 60 day habit challenge. I thoughtfully chose five habits that I would complete every day for 60 consecutive days. I chose things that I wanted to do badly, so it would be as natural for me as brushing my teeth. These daily habits included: taking the dogs for a walk, reading 10 pages, drinking a certain amount of water, no screen time for at least 30 minutes after I woke up, and (minimum) 10 minutes of stretching, core work, or yoga.

Easy enough, right?

Wrong.

Week one was great. I felt excited, motivated, and I fairly easily completed those five habits every day.

The next week I went on a snowboarding trip for my birthday—and being out of town—well, most of those habits went out the window for that long weekend. (But the trip was a blast and I don’t regret one second!

The following week I got back on track, but it became a little stressful to make sure I did all these things each day. It felt overwhelming. I was getting frustrated with myself that I couldn’t easily complete these five things each day.

At that point, I had an ‘a-ha’ moment. I realized that trying to build FIVE new habits all at once is a bit unrealistic (for me anyway). No wonder I was frustrated. Making or breaking ONE small habit at once is likely a more realistic approach. Then, once that habit is mastered, move on to another habit.

The good parts that came out of this (failed) habit challenge? The no screen time for the first 30 minutes after waking up… that one really stuck. At this point, I think I can officially consider it a habit. It comes naturally. I have also enjoyed going to a yoga class a couple of times a week at Wildlight Wellness. For this CrossFit girl who did NO stretching, that’s a big step! I’ve also been taking daily multivitamins, and overall eating a bit healthier. I take the dogs for a walk most every day (unless it’s raining) and I definitely am drinking more water than I was before. Life certainly isn’t perfect, but I feel more in control.

I share this because I’m a big believer in habits. I think our lives are basically made up of a bunch of little habits that we do each day. From brushing your teeth to making your bed to the things you pick out at the grocery store and your coffee order. It is very possible to change your life in a BIG way by creating new habits and dropping bad ones. Based on my experience, I’d encourage you to choose ONE habit at a time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, right? Be patient with yourself and know that the good stuff—the important stuff—takes time.

We are thrilled to have Dr. Nichols on our cover this month! I had the pleasure of meeting her at this cover shoot and she and her team are such genuine and kind people! Read all about Nichols Hearing & Audiology HERE.

April (and early May) are CHOCK full of events! It almost feels (dare I say it?)… back to normal!

Here are a few you may want to add to your calendar! (and as always, check out our full calendar of events on page 112 and on our website, forsythwoman.com):

Oh, and ICYMI—our first-ever Women on the Move Conference happened on Monday, March 28th! Check out our Facebook and Instagram pages (@forsythmags) for photos and videos from the event! Stay tuned for our 2023 WOMC date!

We hope you enjoy reading through this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together! As always, if you have any comments or just want to say hello, feel free to send me an email! Brooke@forsythmags.com

Wishing you a happy and healthy month of April!

All my best,

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Brooke Eagle

Brooke Eagle is the publisher of Forsyth Woman and Forsyth Family Magazines and the host of the Forsyth Magazines Podcast. She was born and raised in Clemmons, NC and currently resides in Winston-Salem, NC. Though Brooke graduated from High Point University with a degree in Elementary Education, she chose to join the magazines full time immediately after college. Her strong work ethic, love for community and leadership skills have been recognized by others as well! Brooke is the Immediate Past President of the Lewisville-Clemmons Chamber of Commerce, past President of the Professional Women of Winston-Salem (now Triad Women’s Club) and served on the Trellis Support Leadership Council (previously Hospice of Winston-Salem). In addition to her role with the magazines, Brooke is the co-owner of Washington Park CrossFit. Her role with the magazines and the gym aligns perfectly with her personal mission of having a positive impact on the growth and development of her local community. In her spare time, Brooke loves spending time with her family and friends, especially when that time is spent on the water! She loves wake surfing, snowboarding, CrossFit, and being a dog mom to her Bernedoodle and German Shepherd.

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