I’ve (re) subscribed to Headspace. Let’s see if this helps me meditate more regularly. And by more regularly, I mean more than twice a year.
In early December, when I told my family my word of the year was going to be CALM, I think I seriously heard them roll their eyes. “You have a lot of work to do,” my husband said. “Mom, I don’t think your new word is working out,” my daughter remarked one afternoon while I was ready to drive over another car that failed to make any movement, despite the fact that the driver had the right of way.
I was failing at channeling my new word of the year and the new year hadn’t even begun. CALM. How the f**k was I supposed to channel calm when I felt wired all the time? I realized simply telling myself I was going to try and invite more calm wasn’t going to cut it. I had to put things into place to help make it happen. A goal without a plan is just a wish. Good intentions won’t work.
So I spent that second half of December really considering how I was going to embrace this new calm in my life. What exactly was I going to do differently so I didn’t end up with the same results – kind of like anything we want to change in life, right? We can’t say we want to lose weight yet not reduce our caloric intake or increase our workouts. Or want a new job or client but not be proactive in making new connections. Or get better grades or opportunities at work without putting in more work to earn those grades or prove you can challenge yourself to meet those new opportunities.
Bottom line is I was treating my new word of the year like an intention but without backing it up with anything substantial.
It’s too early to tell whether what I’ve put into place will work. It does include drinking more water (which I had planned to do in 2018 and didn’t do enough), take longer walks, meditate, continue my journaling and, probably the biggest change: drive less. Seriously. Driving makes me anxious. Especially in Chicago where traffic and congestion are a friggin’ mess. I’m going to invest in a better bike lock and plan to bike everywhere within a 4-mile radius whenever possible. I want to start with shorter distances so I can get comfortable riding in the city rather in the forest preserves where I feel safer. For even shorter distances, I can walk.
I’ll have to report back next month how I’m doing. If I tell you I will, it’ll hold me accountable. I’m all about accountability!
In the meantime, I thought I’d be starting this year on a slow start with work as several major projects came to a close at the end of the year but things picked up in December and I’m looking forward to my projects as I start off 2019.
What are you most looking forward to in the new year? What fun and exciting projects do you have lined up? Or personal events? Traveling anywhere interesting? Attending any new conferences or taking any classes?
If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading! And here’s to a healthy and exciting new year for all of us!