New Year, New You, New Life!

I don't know about you, but i LOVE New Years Resolutions! The fresh beginning of a New year, a Clean slate, and the post-holiday energy of "I'm Ready!"

Maybe that's not you, maybe you are exhausted and stressed at the idea of going back to your routine from before time Holiday Rush... Well, that's what Resolutions are for!

This isn't what-wish-can-I-hope-for-and-fall-thru-on-this-year kind of thinking. I'm talking about, "This is what i Want, and what i Will do, to improve my life"!

Okay, we've all seen articles about setting goals, but really, what is it going to take to make THIS Year different? What do YOU Need to get the ball rolling??

Start Here ----> MAKE A LIST

Seriously, sit down and dream it up. Write down your dream vacation, your dream job, those items, experiences, and activities that you WANT to have in your life!


Really get your energy flowing...

• What would you do if you had no debt?
• Where would you go if you could travel anywhere?
• What would your house look like if you could completely redecorate?
• Where would you live if you could?
• What wardrobe would you buy if you had the funds?
• Which hobbies have you always wanted to try?

AFTER you've dreamed up your perfect life, take a moment to look at your physical environment.


Ask yourself,  "if I could snap my fingers and change something right in front of me, what would make me IMMEDIATELY Happy or Relaxed or Grateful?" What would take the stress off...

• A remodeling project completed?
• A clean kitchen table?
• An office space that is free of clutter?
• A closet with ONLY clothing that you Love to wear?

If you're reading the blog there MUST be SOMETHING that is out of balance in your life...
Is your schedule crazy? Do you find yourself with no free time?

*****

If you've said YES to ALL of this,
then slow down... 
one thing at a time. 

*****

If you're searching for what will truly make you happy, then be honest with yourself. Maybe make a list of what makes you UNhappy about how things are now. Sometimes reframing the question helps our mind solve a problem.

I'VE GOT MY LISTS, NOW WHAT?

Great Job! Here's the deal...

Your first list is your Motivation. These are your long-term future goals and the reason why you're going to do all the little steps between where you are Now and where you Will Be.

Your second list (snap your fingers) are the projects/areas you will focus on.

So where do Resolutions fall? Right in the middle.




EXAMPLE:

DreamList:

1. Vacation in Hawaii 
2. Have a toned/fit body (50 lbs down) 
3. Work with Animals (rather than retail)

Snap Fingers List:

1. Have clear counters and kitchen table
2. Money in the bank (at least $1,000)
3. Have a relaxing corner of the house where I can work on my (incert passion project here) without interruption

Resolutions:

1. Create a budget to set aside $50 every paycheck for Savings (and eventual Hawaii trip)
2. Start a workout program (2x week)
3. Volunteer with local Animal Shelter (gleem information about future career shifts and training)
4. Choose a location and Design my Project Corner (where I can read, write, paint, etc)

Your dreams may be a couple years away,  but your resolutions are the small changes (that turn into Big Changes) that you work on over the next year to get you Closer to those dreams!

So get going! Set your bar high and focus on what REALLY matters to you!

Good luck everyone! Please share your New Year's Resolutions (and Big Dreams) in the comments below. Let's inspire each other!

Are you practicing Self Care?

If you've never heard this term before, Self Care is the act of taking care of yourself. The Oxford definition reads:

"The practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health. The practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress."

Generally, people regard self care as individual activities that are rewarding, by creating a sense of happiness, relaxation or combating stress. Women in particular are reminded to carve out time in their schedule for self care, as we are usually in the practice of caring and doing for others.



Self care is individual

Some examples might include: getting a massage, taking a bubble bath, or taking the time to read a book. The particular activity is just as important as the time you make for it. Regular self care will help give you a sense of wellbeing and decrease your susceptibility to stressful situations.

Practicing self-care makes you a priority, helps you to maintain perspective, and keeps things in balance. It helps prevent against feeling out-of-control and overwhelmed, by creating "down time".

So, why are we discussing Self Care when this is a blog about Minimalism? Because it's the Holiday Season - the time of year marked by both stress and joy. And, the purpose behind minimalistic living is not to just live with less stuff, it is intentional living. The things we make space for and the things we make time for are important to us, or should be. A Minimalistic Lifestyle should reflect your interests, passions, and priorities. And YOU are certainly a priority.





Starting a Self Care Routine: 

Think about activities you enjoy. Make a list.

Take a moment to consider how often you do any of the activities on your list. Has it been awhile? You should be doing something daily for yourself.




Expanding your list

This is an activity I took from a Health Course in college:
Make a list of activities you enjoy, then balance that list against four categories.

• This is a solo activity
• This activity requires another person (or group)
• This activity costs money
• This activity is cheap or free

If you find that all of your activities fall into a specific category, like everything you enjoy doing is expensive and requires other people, that it's time to expand your list of activities and try to think of things that fall into the other categories.

Sometimes you may find that things overlap, like there is an activity that you can do alone or with someone, there are things you can do cheaply or expensively that would fall into the same category. The specifics are up to you.

Sample list: 

1. Meditation (20 mins)                Solo + Free
2. Getting my nails done              Solo/Social + $$
3. Going for a walk                        Solo/Social + Free
4. Reading a book (1 hr)               Solo + Free
5. Coffee with a friend (2 hrs)     Social + $
6. Going to a Concert                     Social + $$$
7. Getting a Massage                     Solo + $$

Schedule your "Me Time"

No matter what you decide to call it, you're Self Care needs to be in your calendar.

This is your time to recharge, clear your mind, or get your energy out. And just like going to the gym, if you don't treat it like an appointment, you will find it being pushed aside for other priorities.

As I said before, this should be a DAILY occurrence. Sure, we all don't have the time or money to go get a massage on a daily basis, but you should be able to set time aside to sip a cup of coffee and read a book if you enjoy that.

Carve out a little time each day for yourself. Do something special, like a massage or pedicure, a couple times a month. Taking time for yourself in small ways (and remembering to mix and the bigger things every so often) will add more enjoyment to your life. And we all want top live a life we love!





My Personal Recommendation for Daily Self Care: Meditation

If you've ever tried meditation before, and you think that it's not for you, I would ask that you try it again. I'm a very busy person, and not just in my schedule, my brain is always in the middle of a project.

When I first tried to meditate, my mind went crazy with task lists and ideas. Clearing your mind is a lot easier said than done. That is why I recommend Guided Meditation for anyone who is starting out. Best part? There are a ton of free resources online. You can listen through Spotify, you can find videos on YouTube, and you can even record your own meditation intention to play for yourself.

It's important to find a guided meditation that you enjoy. The sound of a person's voice, the topic that they focus on, and the music in the background all play a part. Take some time to go through different recordings. See what works for you.

I usually aim to meditate between 15 and 30 minutes at a time. If I find a meditation that I like, and the recording is only 10 minutes long, I might decide to follow it with relaxing music for 10 more minutes.

If you're interested, you can listen to my collection of guided meditation and relaxing music through Spotify. None of the recordings are anything that I own, or profit from, this is just a collection of recordings that I prefer to use when I meditate.

Spotify Playlists:
Guided Meditations
Relaxing Music

If this is a topic that has sparked your interest, here are a few more posts to read:

What Self Care IS and What it Isn't 

Four Reasons to Take a Personal Day

45 Simple Self Care Practices

I do not profit from these articles, I do not even know the authors. I just appreciate sharing information. Feel free to post other related articles and blogs in the comments below!