We’re now in that home stretch of the year when the days and weeks are zipping by FAST. I hope everyone reading this had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday!
I keep meaning to hop on here and say it, but, before I let any more time pass — thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, to everyone who made our 75th anniversary celebration one for the books. Truly, it meant a lot to us at HQ.
That was a big part of 2023, in my book — figuring out how to best ring in the occasion, honor the past while still looking forward, and of course, hosting our event at TOPS Headquarters here in Milwaukee.
The celebration itself might have been centered in Wisconsin, but it extended allllllll across North America. An incredible number of you watched the livestream online, participated in a TOPS walk with your chapter or friends, hosted some kind of community event or local commemoration; the list goes on. That was so cool, to see all your stories and photos from the big day! I can’t believe it’s been a whole month since the event. Time flies when you’re having fun!
Our speakers here at HQ were awesome (big shout-out to members Ronette Wenberg, George Rosenthal, along with our staff!), the toast from President Rick Danforth and Board Member Carol Holtz was a nice touch, the music was lively, and I was bummed that it rained … but at least the day started out dry. I think our founder, Esther Manz, would have loved it all.
If you missed anything, just know that you can find:
Lucky Duck winner information on tops.org
Or, if you’re a member, come chat with us about it all on Discord! (You can find the link in the Members Area, once you’re signed into the site).
And I know … it wasn’t perfect. It sounded like the audio — for those of us who were joining us from afar, tuning in for our “Ask the Doctors” session, put on by the Medical College of Wisconsin — wasn’t the greatest. It was a fantastic session, but hard to hear, at times. We’ll take everything under advisement, for next time we attempt something like this!
Did you accomplish everything you had hoped, as we wind down the year?
That’s an important question to ponder … and it’s up for interpretation! Did you reach your wellness goals? Your career goals? Do you have family-related goals?
As you know, TOPS isn’t just about “Taking Off Pounds Sensibly.” We like to see you living whole, balanced, healthy lives, from the inside, out.
I’ll go first:
I’m not sure if I reached my wellness goals — or even set any, to be honest (and that’s always the best place to start, right?) I will say, I admitted to myself early on this year, that this just might not be my “season” to become my fittest self. Instead, it’s the season for baby snuggles, for eating leftover dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, and admitting to myself that when I finally get a break from parenthood and my full-time job … it’s nice to REST, rather than hit the gym! I would love to get back into weight lifting someday soon, but that day is not today. Instead, I’ll chalk up wellness to a near-win. I’m eating intuitively (for the most part), I’m aiming for balanced meals that will keep me full, rather than snacking on mindless junk, and I have a hot yoga class that I lovvvvve, that I attend at least once or twice a week. It’s just as good for my mental state as it is my physical apperance!
Did I reach my career goals? Family goals? Well, still chipping away on many a TOPS project, but we made a LOT of headway this year, and although I probably should have planned a family vacation … traveling with a baby is challenging, and we did what we could!
How about you?
Did you celebrate TOPS’ 75th anniversary, from near or far?
Do you want to take a minute to do a little “self check-in” and comment about how you’re coming along on your goals?
I am ALL ears.
