We're a good chunk through January now so I wanted to provide an opportunity to check in with yourself, both in general and with your new years intentions. You may want to grab a journal, if that's your thing, so you can reflect on your experience so far.
If you follow me on Instagram (@natalierossiterwellbeing) or came to my Mindful New Years workshop you'll know that my intention for 2020 was to create S P A C E.
Space to breathe, to think, to create and to be.
Here a few examples of what this has looked like in practice:
- Weds 1st: decided to rest instead of rush to complete a task by an arbitrary deadline that I had set myself for no particular reason
- Fri 3rd: didn't fill all my client spaces so I had time and headspace to prepare for tomorrow's workshop. Really glad I did as some unexpected tech issues came up!
- Mon 6th: left my 5.30pm free as I had an extra morning client, this meant I could rest and catch up on my notes without rushing
- Weds 10th: I have done yoga every day for 7 days in a row and loved it!
I've found it most challenging when saying 'no thank you' to friends inviting me to do things and I'm working to manage my own expectations of myself. Sometimes I've had to 'fail' at making space to learn what I need to be mindful of in future.
If you'd like a pdf of the Mindful Intention Setting Guide that I created (above) then send me an email and I'll sent it right over! It's been so helpful to me these last few weeks.
Remember that intentions are ongoing works in progress, so you're not supposed to have 'nailed it' by now and there is no set deadline. It's about trial and error, learning as you go and having that word/phrase to keep coming back to. You can even change it if you've learnt it isn't quite right.
Here are some questions to reflect on about your own experience of practicing your intention so far this year:
- when I have I been able to put this into practice? (it may help you to keep a record of this from now on, so you can see that you are really doing it and making progress)
- how has it felt when I've been mindful of my intention and acted on it? - in what ways has my intention helped me feel good? - when has it been difficult to practice my intention and what can I learn from this?
If you'd like to get some support on this then you might do any of the following:
+ chat with a trusted friend/family member about it
+ look up some mindfully motivating resources such as Sharoo Izadi's 'The Kindness Method' book and Elizabeth Day's 'How to Fail' podcast.
+ book a session with a counsellor or coach - I am currently fully booked for regular sessions though I do have availability for one offs, or you could get in touch with Emily https://www.matterofmindcoaching.com/
Mindfulness is about being aware, accepting, compassionate and non-judgemental in our approach, remember to apply this to yourself when working on personal growth :)
Happy reflecting!
Natalie
x