Ok, now you've gotten over the picture of the beautiful Adam Levine in his rockstar pose ... you're welcome ;), lets get down to it. You want this year to be awesome, right? A healthy dollop of planning and a sprinkle of soul searching, topped with a whole lot of action is the perfect recipe for a super yummy and satisfying 2018. So what are you waiting for? Grab a beautiful notebook and your favourite pen and lets get cooking. 1) Its all in the planning The first step in any life overhaul is to first figure out what it is you want and second, to plan easy manageable steps towards your outcome. Take 20 minutes or so to sit in meditation and contemplate what you really want to manifest. Pick the three most important and write them down. Now split each into 3 parts. What can you do 1) today, 2) this week, 3) this month to move you towards your goal. And then the most important thing ... do the today thing TODAY. Start right now ... after all, we only have the present moment. 2) Do things that nourish your soul What is it that makes your heart sing? Playing with your kids, cuddling your cat (ok that's just me), taking a country walk, going for a G&T with your girlfriends? Make more time in your life for these things. Right now, get out your diary and schedule in 3 'soul dates' this week. make a promise to yourself to stick to them no matter how much time you think you don't have ;) 3) Question what you are told I've been reading a lot about the pharmaceutical and food production industry recently and some of what I've learned is frankly frightening. Don't believe everything you are told. You are responsible for your own health and wellbeing so do a little research on those prescription tablets and If you're feeling a bit run down or shitty, cut a couple of things out of your diet and see if you feel better rather than automatically reaching for the paracetamol or sleeping tablets. Which brings us to next point. Listen to YOUR body. 4) Listen your body We all have an innate ability to heal ourselves and often we instinctively know what is good or bad for us. It's just that we stopped listening. Each of our bodies is different, so the diet I follow may not be right for you. Similarly, whatever workout programme Brenda from accounts is doing may not give you what you need either. The key is to be flexible, to try lots of different things and note which makes your body feel great. Now do more of that and less of the other stuff ... simple. 5) Invest in a yoga retreat Whether you've been doing yoga for a while and want to move your practice to the next level, you're a beginner wanting to get the basics right, or you've simply lost the motivation to practice, a yoga retreat allows you to really immerse yourself body, mind and soul. You'll go home feeling excited about your practice and nourished from the inside out... for the same price as a week in an all inclusive resort stuffing yourself full of cocktails and pizza ... just saying ;) 6) Be grateful OK, I know I'm like a broken record but honestly for me THIS is the yoga! Bending myself into shapes? ... reminds me how grateful I am to have a body that works. Meditating on the sound of the ocean? ... how grateful I am to live in this beautiful place. Writing down the things that made me happy today? ... how grateful I am to have so much joy and love in my life. Try one ... feel better instantly. 7) Action = motivation So you've planned throughly, you've written it in your beautiful journal with your favourite pen, you've even meditated on it but let me tell you one thing my friend ... motivation is not gonna happen unless you act! We become motivated by little gains. We do something, we see a result and that spurs us on to do more. Take a step towards your goal every single day. Even if its a little bit of research online or another picture for your '2018 Goals' Pinterest board 8) Let that shit go Let go of 2017. Seriously ... draw a line under it. The mistakes you made, the people you pissed off, the person that let you down but also the victories, the highs, the things you achieved. So often we get stuck living in the past instead of sitting firmly in the present moment. How can we appreciate the beauty of this very second when we have our mind trained on what 'was' rather than what 'is'. Wishing you a beautiful start to the year. Now go forth and rock it :)
Jenn
xxx