What to Continue Doing More Of?

Be curious. Act as if your only job in the world is to collect evidence.
~ Helen McLaughlin

February was about self-love. March was about empowering by letting go.

For the month of April I decided to write about RESISTANCE (here, here, here, & here). Cause….ya know!!! Seems like it's always there showing up when our fear fills up all parts of our inner well. 

But today, as the month winds down, I want to tell you about 5 things I vowed to do more of this year. Kind of rounding out the month in a more positive fashion.

5 Things I Vow To Continue Doing This Year

These all started in earnest in late January and I am pleased to say, they have continued all the way through till now. 

Even though this list has nothing directly to do with the day-in, day-out growing of my business, the execution of tasks or completing of projects to help me stay connected to my broader vision, still, this year I plan to continue doing these 5 things:

1) LEARN - new skills + experimenting + trying new & different.

Last year I concentrated so much on showing up (my WOTY for 2018) that I realized at the end of 2018 that I didn't really take on the mantle of learning in its truest sense. Yes I read and listened and took pages of notes but opening myself up to things new and different is what I wanted to wholeheartedly step into. 

One of those the things I did late last year that focused on learning, with that relationship continuing to this day, was to hire a business coach. I needed to learn more about what it is I wanted to do with this gift I've been given, helping women create space for joy by letting go or decreasing their fears to get unstuck.

Through my work with her I've come to know more about the women and badass entrepreneurs I choose to do my best work with. I've also experimented with new offerings and have challenged myself in a myriad of new ways. 

2) LISTEN - to my body’s cues. 

For me this means being more aware of what's going on in my body as my day progresses. I’m talking about listening for the daily cues, not the ones where all of a sudden I notice my neck or back is sore and wondering what the heck happened. Nope.

It means I'm checking in more frequently somatically, assessing AND making myself take a break if necessary. I didn’t always do this. Push thru was my mantra before. This is exactly what my month of self-love was all about and what I’ve chosen to keep doing (instead of stopping on February 28th). 

Because when we listen to the clues our bodies are giving us, tapping in to when she is tired and weary, or wound up or sore, this is not only better for our health (duh right?) but it definitely helps us thrive in our business as well.

We’re better able to gauge what can be done with the energy stores we have in the moment when we check in because we're more aware. 

3) BE STILL - allow space to just be. 

I know this sounds so simple BUT…..as this year has progressed I’m realizing more and more that I need more stillness—those moments of quiet and solitude and peace and breath.

My stillness is about quieting the chatter of my mind, going inside to connect to my center and just being. Not asking questions. Not checking off a mental list. None of that. Just pure stillness. Letting my mind wander....or not.

There is no intentional thinking when I’m in this space, just being with myself for a few minutes at a time. I suppose you could say this is a form of meditation, a practice I have yet to master.

During these times I'll light a fragrant candle (this one and this one are my faves right now), darken the room if it is daylight outside and begin my journey inward. Sometimes I'll pull an oracle or tarot card and sit with the image in my mind as I concentrate on my breath. 

This stillness is about reconnecting to my soul self in an easeful way.

4) JOURNAL - getting to know me better. 

I cannot say enough about the practice of journaling, of writing out my heartwords so my mind can fashion the responses I need after a little bit of pondering and percolating of an issue or a thought. Journaling is another way of going inside for answers. 

I had lost the habit of a regular daily practice but it is back on in spades y'all! Of the last 112 days in 2019 I've probably missed about 10. Thing is, I used to get very upset with myself for missing days and, because of that, would let the habit slip by me altogether.

This happened again and again.

This time though, I'm choosing to bring in a little bit of grace, not being so hard on myself when a day goes by without getting to the writing. 

5) AMPLIFY​ - think  & plan the bigger picture.

Last year was eye opening for me, in life and in business. Whoa. Showing up is fricken hard work for an introvert who craves her alone time. But I did it nonetheless.

I needed to repeat the process of stepping into that space of visibility because I had a new business to let women know about. And, unbeknownst to me last year, I would need the practice because the word that showed up for me (WOTY) this year was AMPLIFY.

My plan at the beginning of the year was to ratchet things up this year. The practice I did last year has definitely helped me this year. It’s not so scary anymore being visible.

So I’ve outlined my 5….what are yours?

What will you vow right now to continue doing to help you show up more powerfully and be more you?

Some things to think about: what revs you up….what is something you haven’t done in a whole long while….what are you curious about and want to know more?

Where do you need to step out of your comfortable and throw in a self initiated challenge for yourself…..what new skill have you been putting off learning because of whatever excuse you gave it at the time.

What’s gonna get you closer to your center, your soul self?

Are there any on my list you want to take on and do more of? Please do drop me an email and let me know. I’d love to know what you’re working on and cheer you on. Plus, I’ll hold space for them for you over here.