I know that I need to slow down and enjoy moments more fully. I am someone who has a tendency to do too many things at once (I’m an Aries!) only to find my good intentions have been left by the wayside by the time week 2 comes around. So, I’ve made a conscious decision to take things more slowly as I embark both on initiatives that I’ve been meaning to tackle for ages (ahem…this blog) and also unraveling unsupportive habits (e.g. eating BBQ chips and Muenster cheese as I binge watch Unforgotten on a Sunday night. Not exactly helpful actions to advance the ‘I will eat more mindfully’ or ‘I will get up earlier and work out’ objectives). I know I need to make many changes to how I approach things but I’m going to start by being more patient with myself as I incorporate the “to dos” to achieve my goals into my usual hectic schedule.
What does slowing down look like for me? Tea in the morning, instead of coffee first thing — it keeps me from starting the day jittery — while strolling through my garden of weeds 😉 as I sip. Getting in 10,000 steps (outside preferably) while listening to some of the several podcast episodes that are on my playlist. Not eating past 7:00PM when I can — I’ve found that I sleep better at night because of it and wake up less bloated. Winding down at 10:00PM-ish with a few pages of a book that is on my TBR list before I watch a show. (More on gatekeeping for yourself as a strategy in a future post.)
I’m reminded that we make the time for things that matter to us so I’m working on throwing out the “I don’t have time” rationale. The key to making something actually happen, for me at least, is to schedule what I want to do on my calendar. Even if it’s 15 minutes, I’ve started to put the things that matter on my agenda for the day — it allows me to prioritize the things that I want to do and that make me happy.
There’s a ton of burden we carry when we don’t do the things that we say we want to do. I’m tired of the guilt I heap on myself…and yet, if I control my schedule, the only thing getting in the way of my accomplishing something is moi. Revelations can be hard to tango with but awareness is part of the solution. I’m working on getting out of my own way!
What could you do in your day-to-day to stop and ‘smell the roses’? Just remember — Rome wasn’t built in a day…but they were laying bricks every hour. Remind yourself to be patient with the process. I’m doing the same.
(1) I love biscuits with my tea and these are good ones. I got hooked because I fly Delta. A lot. And, when I get upgraded, I can have as many as I want…which is dangerous. (2) I like making a ritual out of teatime — pretty cups and saucers have a way of uplifiting my spirits and seem to infuse the tea with beauty. (3) YES! Every single one of us is worth it. Don’t ever let anyone tell you or treat you otherwise. (4) How gorgeous is this bottle? Oh, and it happens to contain Champagne. I only drink occasionally but when I do, I want to drink this! (5) I am a sucker for branding…and this aesthetic gives me a jolt of inspiration…and a desire to book a flight to Singapore via a long weekend layover in Sydney.
