Author Julia

It seems like a cliche, but I decided to title the article this way. I’m writing it at the beginning of 2026, because usually on the very first days of the year we dream of something new, wish for more than we managed to achieve last year, and hope that the new year will be happier and more successful.

Usually at the beginning of the year, people take long-awaited decisions they’ve been putting off, otherwise, if they’re not ready to change anything in the life, they put them off again and keep on focusing on what feels more comfortable at the moment.

I know what I’m talking about, as I have been working with a huge number of people, and I also analyze my own dreams, goals, and decisions. I can see the result of what was realized last year or not, and I decide what I want this new year to be. How exactly I want to live each of my allotted 365 days — or rather, 360 days, as I’m writing this article on 5th January.

Analyzing my last year, I can say it was a very happy and joyful year for me, because I was doing what I loved. And I really did a lot, in different areas of my life. But first things first…

Last January, I had a great desire in my heart to make progress in my dancing career. When I was praying about it, I said, “Lord, I want more! I want something more!” And He gave it to me: first of all, a meeting with a wonderful woman, professional dancer and owner of the dance school Cravero&Marcialis in Piedmont. Her name is Lorena Cravero. Last February, I started coming to her studio once a week for her private lessons, as well as I carried on studying at the Milan dance studio every Saturday. Lorena revealed to me some “women’s secrets” in dance and shared her experience, which improved my dance skills.

In the early summer, I began studying at Lorena’s studio with a teacher who had just started working there at that time. His name is Cristian Lalli, and he’s a professional Latin American dancer. We started dancing together and getting ready for a competition in Lisbon. So, we spent the first two months getting to know each other, while I was learning to trust my partner and accept all his comments as a teacher.

The trip to Lisbon at the end of July became a revelation to me, first of all, in terms of my dance potential. We performed two Latin American dances (rumba and cha-cha-cha) and three Argentine ones (tango, milonga, and waltz). I did enjoy that grand event called FabuLous Cup, organized by Lorena and her brother Fabrizio. I saw there were high-leveled dancers at the competition, which attracted my attention. Although, to be honest, during the performances, I did not really notice who was dancing or how. But at the Gala, during the Latin American finals, when the couples who had made it to the finals were competing while the rest of the dancers and guests were sitting at the tables as spectators, I finally paid attention to other dancers!

As usual, the finalists were dancing all five Latin American dances in a certain order, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the performance. It was so vibrant, beautiful, and fiery! All the women partners were amateurs (which means, not professionals, just like me), but they danced at a higher level — the gold level! I could see the excitement and tension on their faces, but they were coping with it! For the first time, I noticed the same “competitive spirit” I had seen and felt in my youth, when I used to be a professional finswimmer.

During the third dance, the rumba, Cristian, who was sitting next to me, leaned over and said, “This is our place, Juli!” He said that with such feeling! His gaze meant, “We shouldn’t be sitting here as spectators, we should be dancing over there, in the finals. We shouldn’t be watching them, we should be competing with them.” As a person who knows what it means to compete and win, I was sure what he was talking about! So I replied, “Ok, Cristian, we will!”

I left Lisbon with the desire to improve my dancing skills, first of all, in the two dances I had already been practicing, and also to begin dancing the other three ones in the Latin program, as well as to achieve the gold level within the next year (at that time, I was dancing in the bronze category).

Starting on September 1st, we began taking 2-3 classes three times per week. The way to the studio takes me about two hours one way, but I realize that for every new level, it’s necessary to do something new! Within a four-month period, we created choreographies for three dances — rumba, cha-cha-cha, and sambo — and performed at competitions in Milan last October and Vienna last December.

As my new schedule required travelling to classes three times per week, I had to reorganize my life coach activities. I came up with the idea of recording video tours that anyone could follow anywhere in the world at any time. Having analyzed my activities, I identified three key areas in which I excel and so created three coach tours:

• The New Level
• Children — Flowers of Life
• Divine Design of Beauty

Each of these tours included 10 video classes (20-25 minutes each), checklists, and workbooks, or, the way I called them, “inspiration books.”

I registered almost all the information for each video on my way to and from the studio. While driving, I was dictating the text into notes on my phone. Then, the next day, I edited these notes, printed them out, and so ended up with 10 different topics for each coach tour. Everything I’d been holding inside of me for many years of my activity finally came out on paper!

And then, it remained the “case for small” — to record 10 videos (20-25 minutes each), and also 6-8 short promotional videos for each of the three circuits.

My youngest son, Eddie, and I were engaged in that process in the autumn of 2025. After filming the videos, my voice became so weak that I spoke in a whisper for a couple of days. However, I was so satisfied with both the process and the result, and so happy, that I didn’t pay attention to other details.

For the first coach tour, we rented a house for two days because I wanted to do the videos with a beautiful view! Despite the fact it was September, it got very cold during the shooting, so that we were recording the videos when it was only 13°C outside. In the breaks, we had to run indoors to warm up and have some tea. Yes, these were some challenges, but we did overcome them!

We decided to film the other two coach tours at home, as it was warmer, more comfortable, and more convenient there! Post-production for the coach tour videos was handled by a creative professional, Yevheniia Kozylina, that’s why all of our tours are exquisite and unique!

And then, in the autumn of 2025, my three coach tours were released, marking a completely new level in my professional carreer as a life coach!
Besides all that, I was developing our magazine, Coffee Time Journal, and on 30th October, we celebrated its fifth anniversary!

Also in the first six months of last year I was recording podcasts for my program “Between Us Girls”, and I wrote a series of articles, published in Russian, English, and Italian.
That year was so productive because it all started with a dream. A dream of wanting more, in a specific area or in various areas.

The desire to want more always leads to the result, which I sincerely wish you in the new year!

I’d like to add another thought: our actions influence people around us. They watch us, and if our example inspires them, they begin to dream and act, too. For instance, I can say that three of my friends, who live in different countries all over the world, have started dancing! My son, after listening to “The New Level” coach tour, has raised his life goals and is successfully achieving them! One of my friends, after listening to a training video from the “Children — Flowers of Life” coach tour, said that only that video had changed her approach to parenting and helped her improve the relationship with her teenage daughter. And the “Divine Design of Beauty” coach tour is my favorite!!! It needs no explanation… it’s just the grace of God!

At the beginning of this year, I want to wish you the following:

Don’t hesitate! Just dance!
Don’t hesitate! Just love!
Don’t hesitate! Wish for more!
Don’t hesitate! Do everything with passion and an open heart!

May your dreams come true!

Translated by Anastasia Moskalenko

Read also:

Dancing as a lifestyle

Beauty in the details

Trust the Professionals!