Summary of 2016 | Elin Härkönens blogg

Summary of 2016. Another year is over... And it is time to start a new one. I'm so excited for this year. It's gonna be AWESOME, I feel it.

Just like every year I will try to summarize my year...like every blogger does. Why not join the trend?! ;)

It will be really hard this time, cause: How do you summarize the BEST year of your life?! (So far!)

It will not be easy.... But I'll try.

. This Year I followed my dream. I followed my heart and feelings. I moved to Australia to become a personal trainer and Exercise specialist. Something I have wanted to do as long as I can remember. Something I have been working so HARD to be able to do, both physically and mentally.

I love helping people. My passion is to inspire and motivate others to live the best life they possibly can.

Move to Australia was something many people were doubting about. I got soooo many comments of what a bad idea it was. That I should wait or do something completely different.

I didn't listen, because I knew it was the right decision for me. And damn it feels good now when I have the result in my hand and can show everyone it was the right decision!

✨I started my Year in Sydney, watching the FireWorks by harbour bridge, an extra ordinary experience and I recommend everyone to celebrate NYE there sometime in their life.

✨ I flew to Kangaroos Island where I spend 1 week with friends, travelling Around and saw a different side of Australia. SO BEAUTIFUL! Spend 1 day in Adelaide and then back to Sydney to Coach a Vaulting training camp.

✨Road trip Up to Sunshine Coast with my patents who had arrived from Sweden, to help me settle in at my student accomodation, Uni Central. Visit Ikea, organizing and preparing for SCHOOL to start.

✨Exploring the area, Mooloolaba which would be my Home for the coming 15 months. I loved it straight away. The cute cafes, The beach, The atmosphare and all The friendly people!

✨Found Acai Brothers, where I now have been visiting uncountable times! Haha! Should get a prize for MOST visits 😂

✨Met my roomates, one Japanese (who I taught how to cook), one Aussie and one American...

✨Met the New students, SO many Swedes.. 20 of 25 (" oh no! I didn't move to The other side of The World to be in a class full of swedes!? " Was my first thought...)

✨ I wanted to improve my english this year... So I set Up the rule that we shouldn't speak swedish in school. The ones who did, got punishment = 10 push-ups . The teachers loved that rule.

I thought it was rude when the swedes where speaking Swedish in the classroom, because the international students and the teacher couldn't understand a word.

✨Had orientation day and introduction at TAFE . Felt good from the beginning. A great campus and wonderful people working there. The teachers seemed so passionate about their job and more like friends than teachers. They really wanted to share their knowledge and us to succeed.

TAFE EAST COAST MOOLOOLABA, where we MAKE GREAT HAPPEN.

I remember how interesting it was to finally start studying. Anatomy and exercise science was my favourite subject. (Or actually I loved all of my subjects except advanced computer...) I loved learning about the body and how everything works, and why. It all makes so much sense now.

✨I really liked the course posture and injury prevention... It was a cool feeling to realize how much power personal trainers can have. How much we can help with our knowledge. How big difference we can make. It's a pretty awesome feeling.

✨Planning and programming was great! So fun to try all the different training styles. Circuits, boot camps, boxing, weight lifting, power, heavy strength, plyometric, speed endurance, strength endurance, interval training, Crossfit, water based, Pilates, spinning......

✨One highlight is when we got our first clients. To be a personal trainer "for real" . Do screenings, postural analysis, food advices, calculations, training program plannings and structure. Even to experience how personal trainers often get to act as a little Pshycologist was a great experience!

This is my passion. This is what I am meant to do.

✨The progress my clients have done during the year, the happiness and the feedback I've got are too good to be true.

I don't know what I would have done without my wonderful, supportive teachers, clients, family, friends, Crossfit the Stables, my surfing family and the staff at TAFE during the hard periods this year.

Hard periods?

Yes I have had some bad luck this year too.... I'm saying it has been the best year of my life, and it has even though I have been fighting through for example : Ross river fever, legionnaire disease, pneumonia x2, lung/chest infection, developed exercise asthma, strained ankle, the flue x2, eye inflammation = need glasses, serious stomach ache (constipation from am eating a vegan diet for 1 week haha, lol!!) stitches in left shin (from playing in a playground)...... I'm lucky I got a medicare card! Haha!

Anyway I have always tried to stay positive. Put it in perspective; it could always have been worse...

" What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. " And all this have really made me stronger. I have got experiences that I wouldn't have had otherwise.

I have learned how to deal with all these problems. I know how it is to NOT have any energy at all, I know how worthless you can feel when you don't even have enough energy to get up in the morning, (I still did, every single day, and now afterwards I don't understand how I did it) I know how it is to live in a body who's aching consistently, I know how frustrating it is to all of a sudden run out of energy and fall asleep in the middle of the day. I know how scary it can be to not be able to breathe. I know how scary it can be to not be able to see.

For someone like me who LOVE being active and train and to be struggling with all this and need to REST , is not easy. It has been tough.... But I made it. And I'm stronger today than I have ever been.

I see all this as meaningful experiences to add to my life-list. It is pretty long now. But I don't see myself as a victim, I see myself as a fighter. A winner.

Remember that it is all about mindset..... Challenges in life comes to us, that's a FACT... and it's up to YOU how you choose to deal with them.

Either you let it BREAK YOU or let it MAKE YOU.

here comes some more HIGHLIGHTS of 2016:

Highlights : 🔹DEFINITELY TAFE~ studying what I love and learning something new EVERY DAY. 🔹Challenges during the year 🔹Training clients ~ golf pro, head of TAFE, older adults.... 🔹Crossfit the Stable 6-weeks challenge where I got the Prize for most spirit! 🔹AWESOME workouts with Vic ... Will never forget "The Seven".

🔹Being the guest speaker at Inspirational women's day, for AUSTRALIASIAN POLICE and EMERGENCY GAMES. 🔹Photoshoot for newspaper and TAFE homepage 🔹Interviews for Australian Television. 🔹Training prisoners at QLD prison UNIVERSITY of QLD, where we got to see real muscles, bones and bodies!! 🔹Beach workouts 🔹Catching my first GREEN waves all by myself.... 🔹Boxing session at CSF. 🔹Coaching AFL team. 🔹Coaching gymnastics. 🔹Partner workouts with my twin 🔹Photo shoots on the beach 🔹Breathe-taking Laughs with friends 🔹becoming ambassador for Better bodies

🔹Traveling around Australia! 🔹Noosa with Victoria💪 🔹TANGALOMA ISLAND during Easter Break ~ coaching boot camps on the beach 🔹WhitSundays during winter break with mum.. Amazing ~ most beautiful place I've ever been to. 🔹The seaplane over Great Barrier Reef was a memory for life. (And finding Nemo!) 🔹Gold coast with my best surfmate Daiki 🔹Camping at Double Island and RAINBOW beach with Chess and her beautiful friends 🔹Overcoming my fear of the ocean and learn how to SURF! 🔹Becoming a LIFESAVER! 🔹BALI- Crossfit training camp during autumn break ~ I felt so strong and happy. LOVE CROSSFIT!

🔹Surprising EVERYONE and flying back to Sweden during autumn break!! I will never forget my friends reactions when I was standing there infront of them. (My besties reaction was the best, when she found me hidden in the trunk of the car, haha!) 🔹My uncles wedding. Love is a beautiful thing. 🔹The week in Melbourne visiting one of my best best friends and second sister. (Exploring the city, MYLK vegan cafe, all the cute shops, laughs and good talks) 🔹FRASER ISLAND (crystal clear rainwater lake ) 🔹The feeling when I hear my besties New single for The first time after It's release on Spotify and realize it is a song to ME!❤️ 🔹GRADUATION! Celebrating the achievements during the year.

🔹 Accomplish one of my dreams: Becoming a lic. personal trainer (Diploma, cert III and IV) And on top of that also: 🔹Exercise specialist 🔹Lic. Boxing Instructor 🔹Lic. Pilates instructor 🔹Lic. Water based fitness instructor 🔹Lic. Muscle Maintenance and Massage 🔹Lic. Lifesaver ~ Bronze medallion 🔹Lic. Gymnastics coach 🔹 Fitness Australia registration 🔹Group training circuit/boot camp instructor

I am so indescribably thankful for everything 2016 has given me. I'm so thankful for all the beautiful people I've got to know, all the support I've got on the way. I'm thankful for all the new friends who came into my life as blessing but also thankful for the false ones who have given me a lesson...

I'm thankful for everything I've learned this year. I have got so much knowledge and experiences. I am one step closer to become the best version of me.. It's a lifelong journey and it continues with excitement. Cause now I'm ready to help, inspire and motivate others on their journeys.

2017 is going to be an AWESOME year. I feel it.

I also want to say THANK YOU for ALL The beautiful messages and emails I've got from YOU, my blog-readers! I'm thankful and excited about continuing to inspire by sharing my lifestyle, thoughts and mindset.. Here on the blog, instagram and who knows maybe I'll end up as your PT one day....;)

Love Eli

Be thankful for the life you've got. Spread love and happiness around you. We share this world, so please contribute with the best.