My word this year is Intention. I want to aim to do all things with real intention behind them. When I do that, I find I am more fully present, and that’s the ultimate goal - to be fully present in every moment.
Another guiding principle this year was: work smarter, not harder. I’ve not been super successful with that, because I am just sort of conditioned to always work. I almost don’t know what to do with myself when I have a couple free hours in the day, and I find myself wanting to schedule an online workshop (like the Social Media Masterclass I offered last weekend) just because I don’t know what else to do with myself. I find that I struggle to do nothing. It’s like a foreign concept to me, and to be honest, it’s not something i’m proud of. So I’ve been trying very hard to make an effort to have more down time, and - more importantly - keep it as down time rather than book myself up.
This weekend was the first test. On Saturday, I woke up and tried to figure out what to do with myself since I had zero plans. It was the first Saturday in months that I didn’t have any work scheduled. I desperately battled internally because I have a cool online course I want to offer, but I told myself I just needed to chill this weekend. So instead of scheduling more work for myself, I poured myself a cup of coffee, spent some time with the dog, lounged around with Dan, and then left the house to go buy dirt and seeds and started working on my garden, which is something I’ve been wanting to do ever since we bought this house last year. I did a ton of transplanting, repotting, and planting seeds for indoor growing (will share more on that soon, Dan just made me a little growing corner and it’s not quite finished yet).
I brought our gym speaker outside, turned on some tunes, and just dug in the dirt. I spent over four and a half hours outside, and it was work, don’t get me wrong - gardening is back-breaking work, I tell ya, but it was a different kind of work. It was good-for-my-soul kinda work. Right after snapping this pic, Buckles did four hundred spins before planting himself right where he’s standing and he laid there next to me as I dug and potted, pruned and dug some more. It was only around 60 degrees but the sun was intense, and it felt so good to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin. It was a memory I made that I’ll file away for the future because I truly felt so happy in that moment. I felt restored, rather than depleted. I felt joyful.
On Sunday, I set out to my dance class. It was my friend Crystal’s birthday, so I chatted with her on the phone on the way there. Our friendship is so special to me - she adds so much value and joy to my life - and honestly, the older I get, the more I realize that those are the kind of relationships I need in my life. She’s the kind of person who can laugh and be silly, yet also be serious and offer sound advice. She’s just wonderful. Anyway, I got out of the car and walked into class just feeling so, so happy. The energy was so great in the room, and class was phenomenal.
After that, I came home, and did a deep clean of the whole house. Again, it was work, but it felt so good to finish with the last room and feel like the whole house was sparkling clean. A clean house is a clear mind - at least, for me it is.
This week I have a packed schedule, as usual. My goal each day is to schedule in a bit of down time - just 10 - 20 minutes - to allow myself to recharge because the pace I’m working at isn’t sustainable or healthy. And when I schedule that down time in, I’m going to really make it down time - no scrolling through my phone or anything - and then I’ll get back to my To Do list.
I’m curious how you all manage your busy schedules - let me know in the comments below.