Path To Productivity: My Struggle With Planning And The Perfect Hot Cocoa Recipe
Ahhh. Planning for the year ahead. Seems so simple, doesn’t it? And yet somehow, each and every year, you’re most likely behind in some section of your life. I’m looking forward to next year to start planning less. I have a few reasons as to why. First, let’s look back at my path to productivity in 2023. Let’s talk about it. My Path In 2023 In January of 2023, I decided to take a full week off…of everything. I took downtime to an all time high, and reset myself both mentally and physically. Because of that, Habitual Balance was born. Through different twists and turns during the year, it developed into what you see today. The kind of mental space that you open up when you really give yourself a chance to think is utterly amazing. It’s as if that’s really how we should be doing things all along. When I finally allowed myself to have some brain space to dedicate back to my own life, all these new ideas and helpful thoughts started flowing in. It took going to the hospital to figure this out for me, so I’m hopeful that Habitual Balance being in your life will help you to do the same before it gets to that point. Planning is helpful for certain situations, but at times, it can quite literally cause a mental overload. Why do we overplan, overthink, and overdo everything as adults? As children, this isn’t so common. Multi-tasking usually isn’t even a thing. As kids we speak our mind, complete our tasks, and play as if there were no tomorrow. How is this chill mode of life so easily lost upon adults? Related: Habitual Growth: Looking Back And Moving Forward Time Goes By So Slowly… And Quickly I’ve got a hunch, you see. As we age, time becomes less available. The summers seem shorter, the winters longer, and the days at our jobs more monotonous. It’s as if time stands still during the situations we hate most, and time flies by when we actually have a moment to ourselves. Even when we are alone, there are distractions. Dogs that need attention, kids that need to be fed, marriages that take hard work over taking time for yourself. We forget about self-care or that it’s even a thing! It’s thrown out the window…and we wonder why it’s so hard to climb our way back out of a rut. Being selfish about self-care is okay. It’s something that we need to do as adults. It’s something that needs to have time spent on it. Last year I thought that if I just planned out every single aspect of my life, that I’d be a-okay. As long as it was listed in my Google calendar, that task would get done. And it did! 9 times out of 10 all of those tasks would be completed…and every time it would be right before I hit another mini wall of burnout. Since we lack extra time in our 20s, 30s, and so on, we push our limits by trying to squeeze in every task that we can so that we’re able to have that one little bit of freedom on the weekends. Why not spread it out and plan less?? I’m A Planner – Do You Go With The Flow? If we organize our lives to fit into time blocks then we’ll never have time to just “go with the flow.” This is something I’ve been trying hard to work on for several years. As I get older, I realize time after time that “going with the flow” is just not something I’ve ever been very good at. Even though I used to tell myself that, I’m a hardcore planner underneath it all. Can you relate?? My goal for 2024 is to schedule less appointments, while also scheduling more time in between them. My goal is to enjoy and be fully present for my loved ones (and of course my pets), so that someday when they’re gone I don’t regret the time not spent together. And lastly, my goal is to embrace who I really am, who I feel down to my core, and not save face for those around me. I want to be my truest self, and I want you to be able to be as well. Who are you? I’m an overthinking, schedule planning, last minute procrastinating work from home wife. I enjoy time with my dogs over everything. Sitting by a fire indoors or outdoors no matter what time of the year. I relish the moments with my best friend and husband when we allow ourselves time to take epic trips that lead into even better hikes. Related: Working Through Self Expectations & Limitations 5 Self-Care Options To Consider These days, I really love being me. And I have no shame in feeling like I miss out on things. I’m trying more often to not be so hard on myself about missing deadlines, or completing the hundreds of tasks I lay out for the week. What are you doing to plan less this coming year? If you need some suggestions, here they are. Do less with the time you have instead of more. The path to productivity isn’t just about saving time. Plan only when things absolutely make sense to, and really challenge yourself to commit to more self-care, whatever that looks like for you. Although there are many, here’s just a few self-care options on your path to productivity that you may consider: Snuggle up in your favorite blanket and watch a movie (or three) Remember that when you wake up and feel like you need a day off, you probably do Enjoy a warm fire during this cooler season and some homemade hot cocoa (check the last section for my favorite recipe!) Take a long walk in the woods or through nature somewhere, alone or with your significant other and pups Try standing outside and breathing in the fresh air for 5
Habitual Growth: Looking Back And Moving Forward
Hey guys. If you’ve been along on our journey so far, you may have noticed that we skipped a week here at Habitual Balance. That’s because of a few things that we’ll walk through today. December is already several days in and it’s flying by faster than ever. Have you taken a moment in time to sit back and take in your surroundings? Your family? Your growth? What are you looking forward to next year? Let’s talk about these things and habitual growth, shall we? Defining Family and Family Growth Family first has always been something drilled into my head growing up, and it probably goes that way for a lot of you as well, I’m assuming. The fact of the matter is though, that family doesn’t always have to be blood. Maybe you found a friend that you grew up with that’s basically became your sister, or have you ever thought about the fact that our own spouses or significant others aren’t “blood-related?” It’s for the bees. December brings on a new journey, one that starts us on a track to really feel the pressure of the new year ahead, and notice from our reflections in November how far we’ve actually come. Are you ready to transition into the next month with new growth? Or do you still feel stuck in the past? Over the last week or so, I’ve been realizing that these members of my life don’t have to be from my family tree. I’ve taken more time to reflect on that and realize that whom I love spending the most time with might just be the persons that aren’t related to me at all. (Or maybe, they’re even not even human! …Speaking to my fellow pet lovers out there!) I’m not sure about you, but I’m one who has come along way in the personal growth category. I used to thrive on going out and socializing, only to realize that it was seriously depressing me and feeling comfy at home was where I’d much rather be. It’s not always easy to understand those feelings, let alone act on them. Where do you love being most? Who do you love being with the most? Is it a friend? A family member? Or perhaps your dog? Related: How Self Reflection Helps You Grow as a Person Time Goes Fast, Be Present Now Having lost one of my furbabies last year, I feel much more compelled to make more time with my dogs these days. One recently developed arthritis, while the other got diagnosed with a tick disease. It’s so hard for me to process still that these little munchkins are just full of love but only around us for a short period of time. Fair, no, but still this is the way of life. If I learned anything from losing him, it was one thing. To be more present. To really embrace every moment and take in the sunlight, the wind blowing, the leaves crinkling. But not just in nature. I’ve also made myself learn how to become more present in daily life revolving around work-related topics, and during family time as well. To sit down without a phone or laptop and to actually have real conversations. Recently I was told (not for the first time), that I am constantly on my computer. (Because duh, I love connecting with you guys!!) However, that comment made me realize that I was spiraling again. That I was doomed to go down the burnout path once more if I didn’t start to pick myself up from a work day and turn the dial to off mode. We all need a wake up call now and then, don’t we? Related: Looking Internally – Rediscovering Your Why & Why It’s So Important To Growth What Does Habitual Growth Look Like For You In 2024? What does your upcoming year look like? Are you flustered about this year still? Have you made amends or plans with friends or family? Or maybe you’ve made promises you already know you’ll have to break, which of course, causes our all too well known friend to arrive…anxiety. Anxiety is something I’ve become more aware of this year. It’s shown me more about myself and why I do certain things certain ways, or why I feel things differently than someone else may. How has anxiety impacted you this year? And what do you plan to do to offset it in the year to come? Maybe you’re realizing that a specific job needs to be changed, or maybe just someone in that job. Have you looked inside of your relationships lately and thought about what you could give more of, or maybe could receive rather?? Now is the time of the year to start resetting your timeline. Begin again with a new mindset and new ideas, because with each coming year we grow and develop into new individuals. We find homes in other hearts that maybe had been there all along, but just were not open yet. Do you have plans for the holidays? Or would you prefer to high-tail it to a beach instead? Depending on your answer, what could that help to tell you about your relationship with those around you? Let’s dive into these uncomfortable topics more in depth during December, and find out what you’re really striving to accomplish in 2024. Related: Lost and Found: Finding Yourself and Gaining Clarity In Life Thank you for reading “Habitual Growth: Looking Back And Moving Forward”! Thank you for reading today’s post about how to move through habitual growth! Let me know what resonates with you. If you have a suggestion for what our next post should be let us know. Don’t forget to check out our sister site Rooted Drawers.
Moving Through Self-Reflection To Get To Self-Acceptance
As we move further through the stages of self-reflection, we move nearer and nearer to the realm of self-acceptance. Accepting one’s self for what they are is one of the most difficult things to do, at least in my experience. Have you ever heard of “the fantasy self?” Or wondered why you’re pulled in several directions at times and need guidance in how to handle those moments? I’m here to tell you that you’re not the only one. We have all had these circumstances arise in our lives, and discovering how best to move through them has been one of my biggest personal challenges. I’d like to talk today about my own experiences, and about what we can do to understand them a little better or how to approach situations like these in the future. Keep The Memories, Lose The Stuff To get into this more personally, I have a short backstory to tell you. About a year ago, I began reading a book called, “Keep The Memories, Lose The Stuff,” by Matt Paxton. I picked it up again recently. This book immediately spoke to me as when I began flipping through the initial pages. It showed me that I wasn’t the only one to have to quickly clear out my loved ones’ clutter in the home. Ironically, I didn’t think of it as clutter at all. I saw it as a beautiful and full lifetime of memories, stacked atop one another, gathering dust and more stories. I noticed the tiny details of each picture saved. Every item that would hold no value for most, but that I remembered talking about and/or giving to this person as gifts during their birthdays or holidays. Then I remembered the conversation that we had about the jewelry box, the angel figurines, and most importantly to me, about the newspaper clipping that showed my beautiful grandmother in cute little pumps in the black and gray photo where her and her colleagues stood in their office way back when. It was these conversations, these memories while standing with her in that back room closet that I didn’t even realize were so important to me at the time, but that clearly my memory decided to absorb like a sponge, since I can remember it as though it were yesterday. Funny how your body collects information so intently without you even recognizing it during that event. Related: The Role of Self Reflection in Personal Growth Dealing With Abandonment During Self-Reflection I’m walking you through a portion of this story because it’s what prompted me to pick up this book in the first place. This woman left in her home 3 lifetimes of memories. The home contained all inanimate objects, clothing, expired food items and way too many knick knacks. She knew where all of those came from. She knew who got them for her, and when they were given or picked up. Then, all in one fell swoop, it was cleared out top to bottom in just two short days. If I said I was heartbroken, that would be an understatement. It was incredible to me how things mean so much less to others than they do to the original person. Especially if they had no meaning behind them that wasn’t in plain site. This book showed me that I was not alone in these feelings of abandonment, and that it was okay to accept my new reality…without her and without her things. It took a lot more time to process those two days mentally than it did physically to go through all of those things and make snap decisions about what to do with them. Hell, I’m still processing some of it still even today, several years later. It’s like my body kept those moments stored for when I needed them, and pulls them out whenever it’s most necessary. This is just one scenario of how we can move through our current pain and into the present, accepting our new situation and how to handle ourselves moving forward. Making the best of our current pain and processing it to the best of our ability is simply the best thing you can do. Move through, not around. Self-Acceptance And The Fantasy Self We touched on this topic slightly in the beginning of the month, you may recall. Self-acceptance is being okay with who you’ve become, or really, who you actually are and always have been, deep down. During our childhood, teen and young adult years, we’re continuously influenced by others and their perspectives on how we are. How we perceive ourselves is something most of don’t even get around to doing until we’re well into our adult years. Why?? My opinion on this is directly correlated with learning about “the fantasy self.” The fantasy self is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the way we look at ourself and how we’d like others to look at us. It’s the piece of us that wants different things, even though our truest form tells us we’re crazy for thinking it. Have you had an experience such as this? Where you know and are so positive that you’ll wear those fringe jackets and tight jeans, or maybe your previous collection of cowboy boots is what you think you really want to wear because they’ll look awesome with that jacket that’s collecting dust, only to put these all on, walk out the door and have immediate anxiety and regret? Related: How Self Reflection Helps You Grow as a Person How Are You Moving Through Self-Reflection To Get To Self-Acceptance? This situation may look different for you, as we all differ as individuals in our own journeys. But my assumption is that you have a scenario pretty similar. Maybe you bought a truck instead of an SUV. And since you justify needing the open bed space but then realize it’s a gas-guzzler and the covered back of an SUV would have been more than sufficient. Or, maybe you keep telling yourself that
How Self Reflection Helps You Grow as a Person
Last week we talked about finding our truest selves, and the week before that we spoke on using November as a month of self-reflection. That is what road we’ll be continuing down in this post, so if you’d like to dive into a little more about how we can keep growing despite changes that happen to us, stay tuned. Let’s look at how self reflection helps you grow as a person. Life Imitates Art, Art Imitates Life Although I try to keep themes for each month for these posts, at times I feel it’s just necessary to talk about the present. Ironically enough, the present directly correlates with a ton of self-reflection this week and knowing how to grow better in the future. Let’s talk about it. Growth is all about change…and my friends, change is hard. It is basically one of the hardest things in life to partake in, which is why so many of us seem to fall short of our goals and dreams. We have trouble pushing past the change and don’t always see the blossom coming full bloom on the flower in the Spring. The dark and drearier days seep into our souls, and alas, we get stuck. Our feet feel like cement, our heart attached where we get pushed and pulled into different directions all at once. Knowing your true self, knowing how to navigate your real feelings, those…those are the hardest of them all. Related: The Role of Self Reflection in Personal Growth Self Reflecting on Change When we face difficulties within our relationships, we find ways to point the finger, blame another, do nearly anything to spend all of our efforts by turning it away from ourselves. When the truth most of the time is that we are the ones that need changing. We are the ones that need to make a change. What change have you recently run into in your own life? The road that we all stumble down decides to twist and turn at times. It falls short of certain goals and reaches far past others than we could have imagined. It shows us doors that we never thought to open, and slams others closed in our face. Why does this occur? My theory is, is that we need these changes to happen to us to remain growing. When we don’t get challenged by our spouse, our family, our work-life, we tend to get bored, saddened, or get lonely and fall into ourselves too deeply. Only then do we find it even harder to get out. We melt into the easy flow of life, not realizing how quickly it passes by us, day in, day out, continually encapsulating us on an endless loop. Have you ever stopped to wonder if this loop can be broken? Can you create your own change?? Related: Lost and Found: Finding Yourself and Gaining Clarity In Life You Have to Ride the Waves of Life, My Friend This week showed me a lot of change, things that were all previously out of my control, but that I have since realized happened to me for a reason. (Something we just spoke about recently if you’ve been keeping up with these posts). These changes occurred both in my personal and professional life all at once. They showed me how to adjust, adapt, and grow (but only after uncomfortable conversations and changes that made me sad). However, therein lies the opportunity that all of us seek. I relate it to a sort of high. A coming down off a dreary, gray cloud, and setting foot onto a golden pathway to your next destination. I find a route that only opened up after the heartache of these changes left me. Don’t get me wrong, we are only all human after all. Which means I most certainly did my fair share of sulking, napping, shopping, eating, and binging YouTube shorts. The truth is that life is a rollercoaster, and you have to simply learn to ride the waves of life, my friend. Whether that includes creating new challenges for yourself, writing out your next goals and ambitions, drawing up a new vision board, or just writing down your newly formed habits everyday to stay accountable. I believe in you, and I have faith that you can conquer whatever difficult road you may currently be on, because I’m right there with you on the same exact journey. Relax, Recover, Reflect Not long ago I had a conversation with a friend. We talked about how cycles of life can affect the cycles of our daily feelings, activities, and decision making. It’s something I’d never considered before. How dare we stop grinding because the weather changed. How dare we let up on our hobbies or sports for a week or two when that time of the month comes. Have you ever considered that Mother Earth herself takes her own natural breaks? Think about it. How much time have you spent in the outdoors just, being? Have you taken a breath of fresh air as the cool, fall wind passes by? Have you checked out the changing, dying leaves around you and realized that this too, is their season to rest and reset? Change is happening everywhere around us. Perhaps we should start letting it happen for us, as well? Take a breather today. Schedule time in your calendar if you must. Relax, recover, and reflect. We are all a part the universe, maybe we should start behaving like it…and realizing the change that happens to us, is just showing us that the best really is yet to come. Related: Working Through Self Expectations & Limitations Thank you for reading “How Self Reflection Helps You Grow as a Person”! Thank you for reading today’s post about how self reflection helps you grow as a person! Let me know what resonates with you. If you have a suggestion for what our next post should be let us know. Don’t forget to check out our sister site Rooted
Lost and Found: Finding Yourself and Gaining Clarity In Life
We started out November with some self-reflecting and observations. These observations could have been of yourself, of your loved ones, or maybe even of your so-called friends. Those things tend to change drastically over the years, and although we ebb and flow through them, there are some things that never change. My advice is to not get caught being one of them. Let’s take a look at finding yourself and gaining clarity in life through my story. Finding Yourself and Gaining Clarity Starts as a Child As we grow up and find our way as small children and then teens into young adults, we find a bunch of friends along the way that “have our back.” We find relationships and lovers with whom we think may last a lifetime, but perhaps may only be in our lives for a season. How is it that we remain blind to some things along this journey? And better yet, how is it that we can remain free of that blindness? During our formative years, some things set in, leaving us the fondest memories (and expectations) of how things “should” be in the future events to come. We find ourselves holding higher and higher hopes about what our friends and loved ones should be doing, while really, we should be focusing on the growth and changes that we ourselves have been making along the way. How do we overcome these obstacles during our youth, so that we can better navigate the realms of adulthood during the years where we’ll be challenged the most as an individual? How do we find who we really are without having to go through finding who we actually aren’t? Finding Out Who I Am The hard and real truth is however, that we simply don’t. Of course we all differ in our human experiences, and we may go through different truths of our own throughout life, but in my own personal journey, I’ve found that finding out who I actually wasn’t time and time again, has truly proved to myself now at 32 years of age who I actually am. I’m a writer, a better listener, a dog lover and adopter, a wife and a daughter. I’m also an entrepreneur, a fun-seeker, a (semi-adventurous) thrill-finder, beginner rock climber, moderately experienced hiker, semi-understanding gardener, and a lover of all things nature. I relish the days like this one where I get to enjoy my birthday in an off-grid location at a teeny tiny cabin settled into the autumn colored fall woods. I hiked in the rain with my husband and dogs, enjoyed meals cooked on a propane stove looking out into the trees, and walked down into the nearby creek to enjoy my morning tea. These are truly the moments that I love to fully immerse myself in. Related: Why I Chose Courage & It’s Endless Reservations Looking to the Past to Grow in the Future 3 years ago, 5 or even 10, I would have made the Mr. Yuck sticker face towards a day like today. You see, I’ve always loved things like this deep down, but for some reason it’s taken me until now to realize that birthdays can be anything you want them to be, and they don’t always need to be spent by pleasing everyone else. So often we spend our well-earned time off checking things online, ticking off tasks that others ask of us, or using our hard earned dough to spend on ourselves “because we deserve” whatever material thing it is that we’re longing for. If we would just simply offer more experiences to our physical being, perhaps our mental one would be in a much better state. Using Reflection When Finding Yourself and Gaining Clarity Reflection is about change. For years and decades I used to think that change was notoriously bad. If you changed, well then you must have gone to the dark side. Forgotten your truest self. Adjusted your ways for another. But as you reflect upon who you were this year, think about these things. Did you change something for the better? Or maybe for the worse, but can reel that in now and understand what needs done to adjust things moving forward? Perhaps you quit drinking, maybe you even made it to your 1 year sobriety coin. Or maybe you’ve decided to be a better listener to your partner to encourage a healthier and happier lifestyle as a partnership. Is it something that you’ve done for them…or for you? If you can help yourself by helping others, I don’t see that as being selfish in any way. Although, it’s okay to be selfish. It heals you internally when you do things that feel good to you. When’s the last time you had your favorite snack? (Without turning the TV on or scrolling through your latest YouTube shorts). Have you spent any time taking a relaxing bath or joining no one but your thoughts in the sauna? Look For Introspective Opportunities Being off-grid this weekend has been something I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time, and it’s perfectly suiting my feelings as well. We all live in a hyper-active and overworked lifestyle in 2023, and so I’m shooting for a little more slow down as we roll into 2024. My challenge to you this month is to really look inward and find what it is you have been searching for. Is it freedom from something, from someone? Is it finding a way to improve your own well-being to create a better you for the long run? Whatever it may be, just get started. Start reflecting more and taking a moment to pause and truly absorb whatever it is you’re doing. Enjoy life, by really living it to the fullest the best way you know how. Thank you for reading “Lost and Found: Finding Yourself and Gaining Clarity in Life”! Thank you for reading today’s post about finding yourself and gaining clarity! Let me know what resonates
The Role of Self Reflection in Personal Growth
Ahh, November. The month where we get to really look back over our year and reflect on who’ve we become and how we’d live next year differently. The time where we can start to slow down and grow from the lessons we’ve learned during the last 11 months. How do you live your life during the ending of the Fall season? Do you slow down at all or is this actually your busy season? I’d like to share with you today what mine looks like, and how slowing down and becoming more intentional with your time each day can help you to become more present in all things you do. Let’s look at the role of self reflection in personal growth. Self Reflection and Personal Growth in 2023 I’d like to start by saying that this has by far been one of the most difficult years of my life. I’ve faced a lot of challenges both personally and professionally and together they’ve taken a large toll on my physical and mental health. (Which is what prompted me to begin creating this blog so that we could start to follow this journey together). Throughout the year I’ve managed to hold nearly 6 different jobs, while my own business went up and down like a rollercoaster because I wasn’t giving it the attention it actually needed. They say a business is like a baby, I would have to admit that I couldn’t agree more. I faced losing someone close to me, a few different health issues at only 31 years old, and multiple different battles with conversations in my family, but mostly in my own head. The whole talking myself through things was probably one of the biggest learning experiences I’ve had yet as an adult. My husband has been there every step of the way, supporting me when I needed it and pushing me when I didn’t want to keep going. I think it’s safe to say that having an accountability partner really makes a true difference, so although I recommend you work on yourself first and foremost, when you find that kind of accountability in whatever kind of relationship you desire, hold onto it. It’s gotten me a really long way this year. How Personal Growth Can Sneak Up On You Whether or not we like to admit it, we humans do this weird thing called obsessing over the most minute things and tasks. We tend to overthink and predetermine before we even do the actual thing we catch ourselves overthinking. Why is it that this happens to us over and over? Or maybe, it’s happening for us? I’ve started to learn a lot more over the last year or so about how having the right mindset can really project you into a totally different path. It’s taught me how becoming your “true self” can set you apart from the average joe. What is your true self? Have you found them yet? Before I started this blog, I was on a one-way path to burnout through and through. My body was sending me signals I didn’t even know existed, and my mind was throwing up all of the blinkers on the control board to try and show me it was time to shut it down. It was only then that I realized it was time to begin again, start over, and reset. Related: Looking Internally – Rediscovering Your Why & Why It’s So Important To Growth Finding Your True Self is a Full Time Job Anxiety is something that occurs in so many adults, and even kids, these days that it truly continues to blow my mind. It’s such a common occurance that it’s even joked about and severely misunderstood. Although during these changing times, it continues to gain more much needed light. During this past year, were you who you really wanted to be? Or were you a mere image of what others prescribed for you year after year of your youth? Have you had the chance to find yourself yet? …Have you even had the chance to try?? Attempting to find your true self is a full-time job in itself, let alone needing to find time around those moments to make time for your family, pets, day job, side hustle, housework, social gatherings, hobbies, and your physical health. And let me be the first one to tell you, ain’t nobody got time for that. Focus on Being in the Moment Recently I watched someone’s feelings unfold regarding a forgotten memory that to them, should have been a golden one. It was heartbreaking to watch as this person is very close to me. But at this point, I now know something that they unfortunately don’t. Through a lot of reading, self-reflection and understanding my true form, I’m beginning to learn a lot more about how others reflect their own selves. Dementia is something that runs in this persons family. So, of course this would be the first thing they had gotten worried about. It’s happening to me, they thought. And so it was. What you believe is what you become. But alas, that wasn’t the case at all. The problem (that persists with most individuals), is simply that we are not able to be fully present in our time. Time passes us by with no real acknowledgement. It goes so quickly that we don’t even understand how it really flows. We simply need to feel ourselves in the moment, each moment, relishing in each breath and each second that passes, to truly implant it in our memory bank. If we don’t, it will be lost. Related: Why I Chose Courage & It’s Endless Reservations Your Time for Personal Growth is Now Let’s take the month of November this year to do some real, raw reflection in who we truly are. Who have you become up until this point in your life? Did one year take precedence over another? Was there a direct point in your timeline that truly stood out
Looking Internally – Rediscovering Your Why & Why It’s So Important To Growth
Greetings fellow humans! Today I’m coming at you from a quaint little spot in the heart of town. It’s quiet, it’s peaceful, it’s the old timey gives you good vibes feeling kind of place. Stumbling upon this tiny gem of a restaurant got me thinking, a lot more than what I thought I actually went in there for. Let me tell you about it…and how it’s affected my mindset behind why I do what I do, and the importance of rediscovering your why too! Related: Introducing Habitual Balance Why I Needed to Change My Mindset Today I had a doctors appointment. Just a checkup but it was frustrating nonetheless. I had to take off work, (yes, I still call it that even though I work for myself!), and drive way out of my way to get to the cold and white box of a doctors office instead of my own comfy couch with the pups. Irritated most of the way there, I decided to try and change my mindset on the way back. After all, I’d be making another stop to thrift and that was bringing some feel good vibes in itself! Side Note: If you don’t already know, we have a sister site that talks all about thrifting and how to break out into the reselling biz! Check out Rooted Drawers! On the way home though, I decided to stop and grab a bite to eat. I don’t mind eating alone. It’s become obvious to me though that over the years of meeting others, not a lot of people enjoy doing so. To me, it’s rewarding in so many ways. It gives you a chance to actually develop a relationship with yourself, and learn how to become more independent, outgoing, and attentive. I googled the restaurants on the way home that I’d pass, and discovered a Greek restaurant along the way. Now, I was actually craving some Pizza Hut, but as I’ve been trying to do better this year with my eating habits as I get older, I thought it may be best to opt for something a bit more Mediterranean. So, off I went. Related: Looking for a new side hustle? Finding Clarity in a Dim Room The parking was a hassle in itself. Everything was jam packed on the street, there was construction and detours due to an event happening that night in the city. The parking garage was my only hope. Great, I thought. Those always give me anxiety. I thought about saying never mind and going somewhere right off the road instead that would have been easier to get to. But I found a spot and backed in, (back in my friends! best to be prepared to pull out in case of emergency!) Then I found the elevator, but decided on the stairs instead. Why not get a little cardio in, eh? Little things add up, so implement them when you can! Using GPS again to find my restaurant, I walked towards the little dots on the map in that direction. I went under more construction, only to miss the place I was seeking out! I backed up, and realized it was tucked inside just a bit. The door was open and the sign said so too, so in I went! It was quiet, empty, and dim. The lights were turned down like the old Italian restaurant I worked at as a teen. It was homey, with black and white pictures all over the wall, Greek symbolism everywhere and vintage mirrors between each set of tables. The smell was wonderful, and the setting was just right. The perfect setting for rediscovering your why accidentally. I walked up to the counter and rang the bell, once…twice…three times. I was about to walk out when a man came around the corner. So, I inquired about some lunch and grabbed a menu. Just then, an older man walked out to greet me, making a great sales pitch about everything that was delicious in his restaurant. After choosing 3 more things that I originally wanted from the menu online, he sat me down at a table nearby. It was so cool. What a great experience I thought to myself. Customer service has really gone by the wayside these days, and here I was, getting top notch care in a little tiny restaurant that I never knew existed. It was so refreshing. Related: Practicing Gratitude in 2023 Rediscovering Your Why Through Outside Experiences The old man brought out his homemade red wine that he talked me into on his great grandmothers copper serving tray. It was 250 years old. TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY. Then he brought my meal and set it down as well. He asked if I needed anything else then left me to be for the most part. It was great. Just enough, I thought. Being a waitress for most of my life, I really value a good customer service experience when dining out, especially alone. Since I now am one of those people that bring a laptop everywhere, I often get quick service because I’m “just another person with a laptop.” The wine was impeccable. So great in fact that I bought a bottle for my husband and I to share. The food was delicious, and made me realize that yes, I do in fact love hummus. The chocolate cake was just as good, with whipped cream and chocolate sauce topping it off. My quick stop for lunch turned into an experience. This is what moves me. What sparks the passion behind working for myself, behind writing for others, and behind understanding more of my why. Getting Lost in the Shuffle For a while now, I feel like I’ve started to lose that. I kept reaching for the stars and following the trends, finding the new niches and hopping on the bandwagon. And then I kept stumbling. Why in the world was this happening? How was it so difficult to continue on this path? Rediscovering your
Developing Routines & What is Sleep Hygiene
Routines are not for everyone. But I’m here today to argue that they probably should be. Creating routines that work well for you each day will help to stay on track and aligned with the people you connect with most often. That could be your significant other, your kids, your boss or your co-workers. Whatever the case, we’re going to dive in more about why routines are a healthy way to make things happen! Let’s take a look a developing routines and what is sleep hygiene. Why, Why, Why? Discovering Your Why Let’s first talk about our “why.” Discovering your “why” can come in many different shapes. You may have several “whys” in your life, but right now let’s just turn our focus to your “why” when it comes to developing routines. So, why did I decide to start implementing a morning and evening routine into my schedule? It’s mainly because I lack discipline when it comes to consistently doing something each day. Sure, I’ll make time for less important things, but so often we all put self-care on the back-burner. Routines in the AM and PM help us to become more stable in our day overall. They give us structure, a beginning and end time, and allow us the time necessary to get ready for our day, but to wind down from it as well. It is likely that you’ll have some trouble at first trying to get the best routine under way, but eventually, it will just make sense. Become second nature even. The best part about it all though is figuring out what works right for you. Then all you have to do is simply stick to it. Get Outta Bed Girl Are you a morning person? I never used to be. I hated early mornings and often went to bed at this time rather than getting up. Then I met someone that had the completely opposite schedule of mine. It made me realize that if I wanted to spend any time with my person that I better start doing some adjusting! It was difficult at first. I’d have trouble going to sleep so early and getting up before it was light out. I thought about napping a hundred times throughout the day and staying up late to binge watch my favorite shows. But then something just clicked. It was like a new world had shown itself to me in the darkness of the morning. There was a certain peace I hadn’t noticed before that was in the silence of the pre-dawn hours. No birds chirping, no incoming notifications, no distractions from lawn mowers or kids coming off the school bus. Just silence. I started loving it. Morning Routine…My Way My morning routine these days follows a pretty similar path after waking up. However, I’m not one of those “jump out of bed immediately when the alarm goes off” kind of gals. (I’m looking at you Mel Robbins with your 5 Second Rule!) There is no way, no how, I’m leaving the comfy, warm but cool at the same time, good-smelling sheets that I’m wrapped up in with my dogs cuddling on both sides. I soak that in. For like, a solid 3-5 minutes…then I get myself into Go mode. Once I’m out of bed, I’m pretty groggy until I get my eyeballs in. (That’s why I call my contacts). So I’ll wear my glasses to make sure I don’t add some new bruises while making my way to the bathroom. I wash my face with my favorite face wash, splash some cool water on, then wipe my face and neck down with a cold rag. I really enjoy turning on a meditation or two, (I have a really great lightbulb that is also a speaker! So once I turn my lights on to set the chill mode, this plays through it). I’ll sit down and do some stretching after, then open up my journals to keep up with my gratitude and affirmations. After that, I like to brew some green tea, and while the water boils I will throw a load of dishes and laundry in, to save time later on when I’m not so eager to do so. I recommend a light breakfast before returning to your zen space, (this is where I veg out for 10 minutes before getting into work). The Challenge of Prioritizing Your Daily Routine Prioritizing your daily routine above all else is challenging. Especially when you’re either always on the go or have a packed full schedule. I try not to let anxiety get to me when I don’t get everything finished at the end of the day. When I’m journaling in the morning, I’ll write down 3 sets of 3 goals I want to accomplish that day. Here’s what they looked like for today: Self Meditate once Stretch once Run 1/2 mile outside with dogs Home Vacuum Do laundry Do dishes Work Create weekly content that’s due (videos/post) Reach 2900 listings Crosslist 5 listings to each platform Of course, I did not get all of these finished, which is pretty common. I always strive to complete them all, but most often I’ll fall short by one or two. If this happens to you, just remember not to be too hard on yourself. We’re only human and things come up that push us behind a little. Which is totally okay! I plan on being here tomorrow, and I’m okay with putting my mental health first so that I can pump out those goals a little bit better as I forge ahead. Saying No Was the Best Thing I Started to Ever Do Isn’t it weird that nightly routines are a thing? As a teen, that seems to go out the window because of sports or schoolwork, family functions or friend dates. But if you think about it, we all start out with routines as children…we just forget that we have to keep up with them as adults. My
Acknowledging Burnout & Learning Where To Find The Lightbulbs
Many moons ago, I thought about listening to the audiobook “Green Lights,” by Matthew McConaughey. I don’t know you, and therefore I don’t know your opinion on this man, but regardless, this is how my story started. Would you like to listen? Alright, Alright, Alright We all have those times in life where we want to just shut the door to the world and move into our bed full time. I’ve had some of those times recently. In my opinion, this was me starting to experience burnout again, but in a new way. Burnout comes in many forms and can attack us from multiple angles. It’s frustrating how much of a grip it can have on us, pulling in directions we didn’t even know previously existed. It is hella annoying, and I’m sure like most of you, I dislike it very much. How do you know when burnout arises? You’ll feel it, I’m sure…but you won’t act on it. You’ll keep pushing back and sending all of your neurons into overdrive even though they’ve already hit maximum capacity. Why do we do this to ourselves? Dazed and Confused – Burnout When we face burnout head-on, it takes a toll on the rest of our body as well. We notice it, then we continue to try to dismiss it or say it isn’t real. We continue to grind, hustle, double down on our goals and break through the next chapter of whatever comes next. Here’s the deal though, break throughs can come in many forms. They can come when you’re burnt out and pushing, providing you with a little more productivity. Or, you could take a break, rejuvenate your mind and body, and then experience a break through like never before. Which one do you think would be more successful? The Sea of Trees – Green Lights When I recently started to experience this feeling again, I decided to stop listening to music and start listening to audiobooks once more. I’ve noticed that I go through stages. Podcasts, newly discovered music, audiobooks…podcasts, newly discovered music, audiobooks. It’s a whole thing. I’m not certain as to why this is, but it does seem to occur the same way over and over, every few months. Since I had hit my limit of listening to music, I decided to go back into Audible and find a book that had been on my mind, “Green Lights,” by Matthew McConaughey. This book has been out now for several years, and even though I’d planned to read it when it came out, I suppose it was just never the right time…I often think about that. How it’s so strange that you put certain things off for a specific period of time, only to come back around to them when the timing is just right. Weird, isn’t it? “Green Lights” talks about how we experience these moments in life where they either make sense to continue on or to stop what you’re doing. In my interpretation of the book thus far, I relate a green light to being a lightbulb moment. And do you know what? I had once recently regarding my burnout situation. Let me tell you about it. I was standing in the gym, talking to someone about not being as active in my recovery lately and how it’s been frustrating me that I’ve spent more time doing other tasks instead of taking care of myself properly…by actively making time to fully recover. “Fully recover…” not something most of us ever even think about doing. Why? Related: Why I Chose Courage Fools Gold…Always Healing Most often we’re never “fully recovered.” That’s because we push push push until we hit a wall. Then we run out of time to “actively recover,” therefore eventually leading to that all too well known burnout feeling. Which is frustrating af. After I had talked to them about “not having enough time” to recover enough, I started telling them about how I’ve been napping more often. Then it hit me. A lightbulb. My body had gone into the caveman mode and taken over. It was forcing me to take more naps because the advanced part of my brain was actively seeking work 110% of the time instead of finding the time to actively recover. Surfer Dude – Blue Mind Theory While naps are part of a great recovery routine as well, they are that exactly, just a part. We need to implement more time in our hectic lives to include relaxing things for our minds and bodies such as sauna time, cold showers/cold plunges, reading a good book, taking a long walk or hike, visiting the beach when you just know you need some blue mind theory time. Blue Mind Theory: Blue Mind is the mildly meditative state people fall into when they are near, in, under or on water. Water positively affects the mind and body, and the Blue Mind Theory provides ways people can use water to improve their well-being. Blue Mind is the term used to describe the state of water-associated peace. The thing is, to prevent our all too common burnouts, we need to find these suttle ways to enact this peace feeling more often. Slowing down our momentum to calm our minds and bodies as a whole. By engaging in more activities that induce that sleepy feeling, such as the tasks mentioned above, we can use these stressors to force ourselves into a more calm state, therefore sending us into nap or sleep mode to fully recover. Related: Working through self expectations Tip Toes – The Recovery 2 Step You see, you simply cannot use one or the other. Fully recovering takes both steps in using active recovery, (stretching, light swimming, sauna or steam room time, etc.), as well as sleeping your best during naps and at night. Our minds and bodies need both to make that full recovery from the feeling of burnout, and making time for these things should be one of our most
Why I Chose Courage & It’s Endless Reservations
To be courageous is so many things within itself. Let’s talk about those feelings and reservations that come along with building confidence in yourself and the courageousness that comes in behind it for the win. A Call to the Sea Many months ago I had this longing, urging, pulling feeling to go to the ocean. Or, so I thought. Ocean, ocean, ocean was all that I could think about. I wanted to book the next flight to Fort Lauderdale and drag my husband along with me. (Despite all of our actual commitments and responsibilities. Screw those, I thought. The time is now for us to embrace this nature of heading to the coastline and leaving the rest behind. Long ago that’s exactly what I thought I would do. Leave all and everything behind me and head to the coast. I didn’t care which one, I figured I’d start out in Florida somewhere. It was where I was born, after all. I thought about how I’d sail with crazy sailboaters and see all the seagulls up close. I thought about how I’d wait on celebrities from my bar/grill on the shoreline and who I’d meet and the stories I’d hear about. Then something changed. I met the man of my dreams by literal chance during one of the last days I was contemplating this all. He encouraged me to keep my roots and not be a gypsy wandering around the countryside. However, those feelings still reside deep down. (I’m sure many of you may feel the same!) Many days I ponder about how many places I could see or where I could still end up. The bright part of my life though now is that I have an amazing partner to share those feelings and experiences with, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Resetting for Self Growth To take the step into settling down instead of branching out took a ton of courage on my end. I’m not sure about him, since I’ve never really sat down and asked about that. I didn’t really think of these things until recently, when I was having a sense of self identity crisis. Courage is knowing who you are and who you’ve become, and realizing the difference in who you used to be and how far you’ve grown. I needed a really hard hit to my soul to understand that. So, I finally went to the beach. Today I woke up and called into my day job. I took a nap, and woke up with beach vibes on my mind. This is the freedom that I long for and want you all to have, the feeling that nothing in the world matters more than your self-growth, and the knowingness that you, all by yourself, can accomplish those things. Since I’m nowhere close to an actual beach with an ocean, I decided to opt for the next best thing. It’s where I went as a child, it’s where I went last year when my favorite dog passed away, and it’s where I am right here and now. It’s only a lake, but I can see far and wide and I’m not able to see the other side, which makes it feel 90% like the ocean. It’s beautiful, serene, peaceful, and exactly what I needed. I needed the smell of the water and the feel of the wind and the sound of the seagulls from my younger years. I’ve been craving the touch of the sand and the softness of laying down on it before dipping my legs into the lukewarm water. I needed these moments in sync with one another. More Habitual Balance: Practicing Gratitude in 2023 Why I Chose Courage Today I think it’s hard to overcome the realization that you’re at a self-growth crossroads. I’ve been more tuned into it this year than I ever have before, and I chalk that up to a plethora of things. The fact the my spouse is super supportive of my goals and journey, knowing that I am on a different path than his, releasing expectations that we should be following the same one. The fact that I had several health issues that I didn’t realize were even going to pop up at all, let alone in my early thirties. The fact that I’ve waited in some areas of life until I have the chance to be at my best and most accomplished in knowing my true self. But here I am, learning, absorbing, and just being. Every single day. This trip is approximately 2 hours for me, and by doing so today, I’ve decided that I will make this trip at least once every other week, if not every week. Treating myself to lunch and to relishing in the nature that surrounds me, in all seasons. It’s hard to get to know yourself, but I feel like so many of us struggle with it. We seek others approval on nearly everything, and never give ourselves the opportunity to really understand our own beings. Why? Why I Chose Courage Over All of Them I had the word “Courage” tattooed on me several years ago. Right on my wrist so that I could always look down and it and be reminded to keep pushing through the hard things. It has helped me a lot since then, especially during our hike up Angel’s Landing in Zion. It reminded me to breathe, to embrace, to feel all of my surroundings and be entirely present in my situation. Now, I’m not saying everyone needs to go out and get a tattoo, after all, it’s not for everyone. But, it is for me, and it’s helped me a lot. I went back and forth with my endless decision making between words that were similar. Want to know why I chose Courage over all of them? Courage takes perseverance. Perseverance takes patience, and patience takes strength. They’re all related, and they were all options. However, courage is what was needed