Exhausting, Isn't It?

“Nothing is more exhausting than
the task that is never started.”

— Gretchen Rubin, Author of The Happiness Project

Take a moment to reflect on this:

• What task have you been putting off starting?
• What task has been on your “mental to do list” forever?
• What has been getting in the way of you starting that task?
• What impact has not doing that task been having on your personal energy?
• What would it be like to get started on that task?
• What is one small thing you could do today to get started on that task?
• How might your energy shift if you were to begin to work on that task?

Thankful

Here’s a great daily gratitude practice that you just might want to try. Much has been written about the value and importance of a daily gratitude or thankfulness practice. This particular practice has an added bonus in that it doubles as a sleep readiness practice. 

Every night as we are about to fall asleep, my husband and I share our answers to these three powerful questions. It is a lovely ritual to give thanks at the end of the day and to set a positive intention for the next day. It also helps to release the thoughts and experiences of the day in order to prepare for restful sleep.

So, no matter how tired you are or how taxing your day has been, try to make this simple question and answer practice the last thing you do before you doze off each night. You can answer the questions out loud, or silently think through and visualize your answers or write your answers in a journal.

Ask yourself the following three questions:

What are 3 things from today that I am grateful for? 

Think in terms of the things that you experienced, witnessed, accomplished or received throughout the day. Perhaps you had a shift in perception. Or were there positive things that occurred in your life today? What did you witness in your life or observe happening in the world today that you are grateful for? Did you receive good news? What random act of kindness did you receive? What was something that you did for someone else? What made you feel happy, joyful, or what simply made you smile or laugh? 

What are 2 accomplishments from today that I am proud of?

When most people read the word accomplishments they tend to think about it in the context of their work and career or in terms of crossing things off of their to-do list. While those can certainly be the types of accomplishments you might want to acknowledge as part of this ritual, it can be helpful to expand your perspective around the concept of accomplishments. 

Consider some of these perspective-shifting questions around accomplishments:

• What do you feel proud about as it relates to your personal growth and development?
• What is something you did today to nurture your body, mind or spirit? 
• What baby steps did you take today that moved you forward with a personal goal or intention?
• How were you proactive?
• Did you spend more time being still, calm and peaceful?
• How was your personal energy restored and nourished?
• Were you able to reframe an experience or call upon your own personal resiliency?
• What shifts of perception or new aha’s and insights did you experience today?
• Did you react differently to a difficult or stressful situation?

What is 1 intention that I have for tomorrow?

Most people will approach this question in a practical manner. For example, they may think about what is on their to do list for tomorrow. What meetings do I have? What projects do I need to focus on? What new clients am I working with? What is on my to do list that I want to complete?

However, the very nature of the word “intention” asks us to uplevel our thinking a bit. This question invites us to look more holistically at our life.

Consider some of these perspective-shifting questions around intentions:

• What intention do you have for the overall day?
• What would you like to consciously set as the tone of your day?
• Beyond the tasks, what larger intention do you have for your life tomorrow?
• How do you want to approach your day?
• What qualities do you want to bring to your life and work tomorrow?
• What way would you like to see things shift tomorrow?
• What would bring you joy or delight? 
• What would make you and those around you smile?
• What intention would you like to see manifest in your life?

Consider giving this restorative practice of thankfulness a try tonight!

Praise

Take a minute to pause and think about this:

When was the last time you praised yourself?

Seriously. When was the last time you slowed down for a moment and gave yourself, gentle, positive, affirming, unconditional praise? 

When was the last time you:

• patted yourself on the back or paid yourself a compliment?
• acknowledged one of your own accomplishments? 
• recognized your own professional, personal or spiritual growth?
• praised yourself for how you handled a challenging situation?
• admired yourself for who you are as a person?
• gave yourself the kind of nurturing praise you would give a child?

If you are like most women, chances are you don’t remember the last time you gave yourself praise. It is far more likely that you recall the last time you were self-critical. Women tend to more habitually practice negative self-talk than they do positive self-praise. Overtime, this energy draining practice eats away at our happiness, our self-esteem, our self-worth and our self-confidence.

So how about taking some time today to give yourself some praise? 

It will do your body, mind and spirit good! Better yet, why not develop a self-appreciation practice. At least once a day, take the time to praise yourself and acknowledge who you are, what you’ve done, your growth, your gifts and your contributions to the world around you. You can say it outloud, think it in your mind, write it in your journal or put it in your accomplishments jar. Be creative with it and have fun. Soon you’ll find that you have begun to shift from a self-critical mindset to one of self-compassion.

This simple practice only takes moments a day but the benefits of adopting this transformative practice will last a lifetime. 

Celebrate!

Welcome to 2012: It’s Time to Celebrate!

It is a new year and we’ve just completed 2011. So it is time to spend a few minutes taking stock of your 2011 journey and to celebrating your growth and accomplishments. 

In our fast moving culture where our eyes tend to be strongly focused on the prize ahead, we forget to routinely acknowledge and celebrate our progress along the way. Instead, we tend to focus more on what we have yet to accomplish and on what has tripped us up along the way. 

“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey!”—Barbara Hoffman

So take a few minutes over the next few days to celebrate and acknowledge YOU and your journey! It is simple and rewarding.

What are six things you are most proud of having accomplished in 2011?

Remember to broaden your definition of accomplishment beyond the typical work-related achievements. Think in terms of your personal growth and development as well as your contribution to the world around you. Here are some questions to give you food for thought:

• What have you learned?
• What has made you come more alive?
• In what ways have you lived your life more authentically?
• In what ways have you transformed your life?
• What positive shifts had occurred in your life?
• What have you let go of that was no longer serving you?
• What areas of your life did you become more receptive in?
• What did you do to bring more joy into your daily life?
• What did you do that was courageous?
• What were practices you put into place for your body, mind and spirit?
• In what ways did you practice more self-compassion?
• What did you begin?
• What new possibilities did you make room for or explore in your life?
• What new perspectives have you gained?
• What have you contributed to others?
• What new connections have you made or what older connections have you strengthened?
• What difference have you made in your own life, the lives of those around you, and/or for the planet?

Consider writing your list in your journal, posting it on your fridge, putting it in your Smartphone or pinning it to your bulletin board! Most of all, celebrate the gift that you are!