67: 5 Tips To Evolve Into 2026 With Intention

"You Don't Need a Total Reinvention — Just a New Direction:"

You don't need a new body, a new career, or a completely new identity next year—you just need a new direction. In this thoughtful episode of Group X Appeal, Kimberly and Terry explore the art of intentional evolution without the dramatic "burn it all down" approach that leads to burnout. 

Whether you're an instructor considering expanding your offerings, or an enthusiast ready to shift how you move, recover, or show up, this conversation gives you permission to evolve with grace and purpose. 

Learn why micro-changes create more lasting impact than complete overhauls, and discover how to honor your changing body, energy, and aspirations as you step into the new year.

Key Takeaways:

• Micro-Evolution VS Complete Overhaul 
• The Courage to Release 
• Honor Your Changing Self 
• Permission to Be a Beginner Again 
• Create Your Evolution Roadmap 

Essential viewing for group fitness instructors, yoga teachers, and fitness enthusiasts ready to evolve with purpose rather than pressure. You're allowed to change, grow, and become more of who you really are—again and again.

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Questions or topic ideas? Email us @ groupxappeal@gmail.com

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Stay Connected with Kimberly:
- @kimberlyspreenglick on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube
- email: kimberly@theinspiredlifeuniversity.com
- website: www.theinspiredlifeuniversity.com

Stay Connected with Terry:
- @terryshorter on Instagram & Facebook
- email: terry@rippedplanet.com
- website: www.rippedplanet.com

Transcript

You don't need a new body, a new career, or a new identity next year. You just need a new direction. Yes. If you're ready to evolve with intention, make sure to subscribe so you catch every strategy that we share and tag a friend also who's ready to join the journey with you.

Kimberly/terry (00:53)
Welcome to another episode of Group X Appeal. I am Kimberly Sprenglik with Terry Shorter. So today is all about evolution. love that word. And we're not talking about dramatic overnight burn your life down reinvention kind, but the aligned gradual graceful kind. Your kind.

My kind, that is my kind of evolution. That's you. So whether you are an instructor thinking about expanding your offerings or perhaps someone who wants to shift how they move, recover or just show up, this episode is your permission slip. I like that. So let's talk Not that they need our permission. No, you don't need our permission. We'll be happy to write a permission slip for you. I will write a note to whoever you want me to write a note Dr. Feelgood.

Dr. Kimberly Sins. They might not take the note, but I would write it. So we have a few tips to share with you. And the first one is all about micro evolution versus overhaul. Like we said earlier, it's not about this dramatic overhauling of your life. You don't have to burn your life down and start over. Like take everything that you have experienced and learned up till this point and then move from that place. Change doesn't have to be dramatic to be meaningful.

And I truly believe that evolution in life is a process of us throughout our days becoming more and more of who we really are. So if you could look at it from that perspective, my evolution going into this next year, this next day, it is about choosing to become more of who I am. And the biggest question then becomes, okay, what does that mean to me? What does it mean for me to become more of who I really am? And then just taking micro,

evolutionary steps in that direction so that you don't feel overwhelmed. Yeah. And Kimberly talked about, in the last episode, an episode 66, hopefully you heard it. She talked about taking small steps when it comes to building habits, same kind of concept, same idea, right? Doesn't have to be, ⁓ you know, Rome wasn't built in one day as they say, right? And neither will you unfortunately. So, you know, take the time to, ⁓ take the small steps. Absolutely. change.

So the second thing is in order to evolve is your ability to have the courage to let go. Oh, so important. it go. Let it go. sometimes evolution requires releasing the old roles, the expectations or the old version of yourself. Also the old things that you were telling yourself that you perhaps believed in that weren't serving you. getting rid of that stuff, feeling okay.

to let those things just hang out by the curbside and move on to things that are more productive, things that are going to serve you in a much better way. So I think that's one of the hardest things for a lot of people. Yeah, I think that's why, you this point I think is so important. And I think it's why so often people can feel more successful if they bring someone else into that. So whether it be a friend or a peer or a coach, think this is one of the

biggest reasons for someone to hire a coach. Because a coach only sees your potential. They are not attached to your beliefs about what you're capable of or the stories you told yourself, the limiting beliefs. They're not attached to any of that. And they're not gonna buy into it either. They're not gonna buy into it, absolutely. So I think that if you need help letting go, then seek out help letting go. Whether again, that's a friend, a peer, a family member.

Sometimes friends and family can, that can be a touchy one because sometimes they are attached to a certain identity that you have brought to the table historically. But getting a coach has been a game changer for me. Yeah. They see your blind spots. Yeah. It's huge. Good. Now that's a great point. that tip. Letting go. Yeah. Keep letting it go. Yes. And now whether you're evolving, you know, as a pro, maybe you're a fitness pro or you're an enthusiast in the space, I think it's

really important that we honor our bodies as we change. We honor our energy levels. For those of us who teach, we honor that teaching voice. You know, we live through these different chapters in our lives. mean, personally, I think I'm on my third book. think, it's of like a 20 part series though. Yeah. I mean, it's like unabridged. it's like, it's like set of encyclopedias.

But yeah, we go through these different chapters and it has to be okay. I often think, people ask me, you don't teach like 10 kickboxing classes a week, you're not doing burpees every day. And I'm like, yeah, I'm like, but that's okay. And you know why it's okay? Because it has to be okay. Because you have to be able to look at maybe what you did 10, 20 years ago and as much fun as it might've been, and maybe even now you could still do it, but we always have to follow it up with. Why?

Why would I do that? WTF? on earth would I do that? So you could follow it up with that. Or a different word. Or I would suggest you follow it up with at what cost. I could still teach five kickboxing classes a week, but at what cost? And what's that going to prove? Right, exactly. What's it going to prove? Like back to why, right?

So, you know, I've certainly in my teaching and I, and I believe you have as well, I have honored how my, my body and my energy levels, how things have evolved and we've had, you know, potentially injuries along the way overuse and things like that. And, ⁓ and you have to honor that. You can't force yourself to do what you've always done just because it's what you've always done. Right. So honor each new chapter as it unfolds and let that be part of your evolution.

Yes. And it's not, it's not easy to do to, you know, to evolve in that way as you're going through different chapters or seasons of your life. And that goes back to point number two, let it go. let it go. the fourth tip would be try new things without the pressure to master it. Right? We are all, we all begin as beginners.

And it's okay to be that beginner again. We can't be afraid to step into a different environment, try, you know, a different format perhaps. we just have to be okay with, ⁓ starting fresh. Yeah. And that can be really hard too. If you're someone who's, who's been doing something for a long time, you've done it mastered. Yeah. So you gotta do what again? Just.

Let it go. Yeah, we're going to get sponsored by Disney. think think so. Yeah. So yeah. So ⁓ for me personally, for me, I always mentioned yoga. When I first stepped into yoga, I was like, ⁓ this is going to be so easy. I've got this. But it was not easy at first. It really was. No, no. I to lose the ego right away. So ⁓ yeah. And then trying to go from yoga and then

you know, through that evolution that I experienced as a yoga practitioner, not as an instructor, but just as a practitioner, thought, okay, my next step is handstands. And that was probably, that was one of the most humbling experiences also. I'm sure. Practicing hands, different styles of handstands. something I thought, I'll get this in a week, months. It took months, right? But months of ⁓ gradual practice and

you know, just creating the habits to and the commitment to practice like 10 minutes a day was all I committed to just 10 minutes a day. Wasn't a lot. ⁓ but then eventually happened, but the pressure to master it was pretty heavy right from the get right out of the gate. Yeah. Just going to be honest. You know, I think there's something to be said about approaching things, not just yoga, yoga, definitely, but all things with a beginner's mind. Because I think that if we

approach something with a beginner's mind, like not expecting that you're gonna master it. It just makes you more present. And enjoy it more. Well, yeah, for sure. But if I'm new at something, I'm gonna be more aware of what's going on around me, what I'm feeling in my body, the different cues and such. And so you do get more out of the experience. Sure. It forces you to be more in the moment. And don't we all want more of that, right? Yeah. I love that. It's cool. So we also want to suggest for you that you create an evolution roadmap.

What does that mean? Well, what I will tell you what that means. Terry Shorter. So glad you're here.

So start with intention, okay? Start with like a vision of what this evolution looks like. What does it mean, as I mentioned earlier, to become more of who you really are? Because this is a process of becoming. You don't have to change anything. Like the whole concept of like new year, new you. Or reinvention. ⁓ reinvention, ⁓

But that whole slogan that gets so many people on the hook from a marketing perspective, a new year, new you is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I cannot stand it. The world does not need a new you. The world needs more of who you really are, like more of the real you. So start with that intention. Like, what does that look like? What does that mean? What do you want more of in your life? And what do you want less of in your life? What just shifts do you need to make here and there? Or what do you need to let go of? What do you need to bring in to?

Be able to feel that sense of becoming more of who you really are on your journey. That is your evolution roadmap. And that means you've got to trust what we call your internal GPS. Okay. You trust that intuition and then make your choices accordingly as you go. Yeah. And it's, it's, I think it's a, it's, it's a simple process, but we've talked about before what's simple to do, simple not to do. Right. So when Kimberly talks about be more of who you really are,

that authentic you, ⁓ perhaps start with how, not just who you are, but also how you want to feel. What you want more of, how you want to feel more of. For me, in 2026, already looking ahead now, I want to feel even more fulfilled. And then the next step is, okay, well, what makes you feel fulfilled or what makes you feel happy? What are the things that make you feel happy? And guess what? It's really simple. Do more of that. ⁓

Makes sense to me. Right? Just do more of that, those things that make you happy. As long as they're not destructive, right? Yeah. Right? So start with that question. How do you want to feel? Because that's who you really are, I think, just by nature. And then the second step is just figuring out what are those things that make you feel that way. It reminds me of that quote, don't ask what the world needs, ask what makes you come alive. And do that because the world needs more people who have come alive. Love that.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, yeah, I think so. believe I think so. Correct us if we're wrong, please. Let us know notice I said it and then I said correct us if we're wrong. Yeah It's a collective thing here teamwork makes the dream work So, ⁓ yeah, you're absolutely allowed to change. There's nothing wrong with change. Yes. It's gonna be challenging Yes, it's gonna be hard. Your ego is gonna be Challenged for sure, but you are absolutely allowed to evolve. You're allowed to become more

like Kimberly said of who you really are again and again. And you can do it with grace. You can do it with purpose. You can do it without any apology whatsoever. So please feel free. So we invite you to kick off your evolution with inspiration with us at the fit expo, January 11th. We're to be there interviewing instructors, creators, community members about their journey, their evolution. ⁓ and by all means, message us.

at Group X Appeal, share how you're evolving heading into 2026. Follow, give us a review. We'd love to hear from you. Any questions you have or topics you'd like us to cover. But definitely all those things. It helps more people find our show and receive the message. So we appreciate your support. Yes, we do. It means the world to us. And it means the world to us that you stopped in to listen to ⁓ a few of these key tips to really prepare you for the top of the years in your ⁓ evolution process. And so as always.

I'm Terry Shorter. I'm Kimberly Springlick. And as always, we encourage you to make it a great day. why Kimberly? Because it is a great day to have. Yes, it is. Much love. Peace out.