7 little things that bring big things + a bonus tip

Seeing everyone’s New Year’s intentions can be frustrating if you’re not sure where you want to go. I’ve found that focusing on daily activities that ground me always bring me joy, clarity and somehow magically, the big things get resolved.  That’s what I did in 2011 and the year unfolded better than I could have imagined.

I spent time in Australia, Alaska, camped along the California coast, watched my niece dance with the Rockettes in Boston, saw one of Oprah’s last shows,  wrote for an Australian home design magazine, wrote a guest post for designer, Tobi Fairley’s blog, began health counseling school, moved deeper into a loving relationship, moved into (and decorated) a beautiful home and ended the year with a dog (a testament to divine intervention… I had no intention of getting a dog until Bisbee came into my life… and no idea how much I would love him.)

Here are the little things that work for me… what works for you?

• sitting, meditating for 20 minutes each day… probably the most important on the list… it helps me slow down and enjoy where I am, not get ahead of myself, or struggle so much trying to figure everything out. 
  
  
• read something inspiring, usually a passage from Journey to the Heart
  
  
• write daily, usually 20 minutes of journaling at 750words.com.
  
  
• get outside, go for a walk, look for beauty, take a picture (I had so much fun w/ this last year that I’m taking a photo class. And now I have Bisbee to join me!)
  
  
• practice yoga…moving, new schedules, new careers, a new way of life has rocked my yoga schedule a bit. Missing classes has only made me realize how important it is in my life. 
  
  
• eating real food... lots happened in the food department for me last year. I ate a lot of kale, drank a lot of green juice, explored sweet potatoes and cooked more than I ever have. The result? I feel so much better.  I never think about my weight and I never knew how good veggies could be. I still have chocolate when I want. I over-do at times, but I don’t even think about it, because I know I’m on the right track. I struggle more with making the time to cook, than the food choices to make.
  
  
• take a bath… I had no idea how therapeutic a bath could be. My yoga teacher suggested oil baths and I discovered Epsom salts… Both work magic, no matter what’s going on in my world.

BONUS: when you enjoy the process, everything comes easier….

I’m looking forward to seeing what 2012 brings. What are your little things?

p.s. – I hope you’ll join Barefoot Studio’s 90-Day Transformation Challenge andmy New Year, New You Workshop Series beginning January 28th at Barefoot Studio, Tucson !

High hopes for 2012

“Have you ever said yes to that little whisper in your heart?”  I have… and that’s what 2012 is about – responding to those whispers, welcoming an entirely new way of being, embracing creativity & opportunity, enjoying the process, capturing the moments and seeing what the universe brings…

photo via Pinterest, from Karen Salmannsohn at notsalmon.com

So, here’s a list of everything my heart’s been whispering (and what I’m doing about it):

• I want to be able to sing a song, comfortably, confidently, (not professionally) – just for those in my immediate world, probably only my boyfriend. 1st step: Singing lessons, starting Monday. What in the world. I’d REALLY love to sing a song while playing the piano, so I’m throwing in piano lessons as well. Those I’m fine with, I know I’ll just have to practice. Singing, I’m scared to death of. That takes courage.
  
  
• I want to tell a story with photos throughout our home that capture our most special moments. I want to develop an eye for these moments and an attachment to my camera. 1st step:  become a Superhero, with this course. 2nd step: use these skills to create  inspirational books. 
  
  
• I want to encourage others to become their best self. 1st step: becoming a certified health counselor. I enrolled in IIN’s program in 2011, so that’s in process. I’m starting 2012 with my first client and a series of New Year, New You workshops scheduled. 2nd step: be on the lookout for other opportunities to encourage people to live their best life.
  
  
• I want to write more consistently. First step: I changed my blog from Thoughtful Content to Your Best Self  with the help of Kaiko at Izumi Studios.  I was already writing more about “becoming your best self” than “marketing, through meaningful communication” anyway. I just needed to create the structure and look that fit my voice. So, I’ll be sharing health & lifestyle tips in my blog and monthly e-newsletter. 2nd step: write daily, at 750words.com. to keep the ideas flowing, the process grounded in routine. 
  
  
• I want to “easily, simply, consistently” cook real food. I enjoy cooking, but I don’t want it to feel like a part-time job. I’d like the comfort a “basic” routine can provide. And, I’d like to offer the same for my clients because their #1 complaint about having to cook more is that it takes too much time. 1st step: Cook often. 2nd step: I’m taking lessons & insight from The Organic Kitchen and Lilly’s Table to help me.
  
  
• We moved in to a home in September and have spent a lot of energy creating a peaceful space that feels “us.” Next step: create the kitchen and outdoor space. I’ll be spending a lot of time browsing designer blogs, Houzz, Modenus and Pinterest for inspiration. 
  
  
• Here’s a whisper that came to me this week via my friend, Jenn. So, I’m taking my friend Tobi’s advice and throwing the universe one really big, scary, too good to be true, that would never happen to me possibility ……. I’d LOVE to be one of the bloggers selected for the Modenus BlogTour 2012. I would love to pack my laptop and camera, jet off to New York, Paris, Milan or London and capture creative inspiration alongside inspiring designers…. A trip of a lifetime!  

Stay tuned for the daily “little things” that can help you gracefully navigate and achieve whatever 2012 has in store for you…. especially the really big, scary things.

Already frustrated with New Year intentions?

A New Year. A clean slate. I hope the first week left you energized and engaged… Or, at least in touch with what it’s going to take to keep you that way. It’s easy to slip back into old ways of being. It’s not that you’re incapable of doing the things you’d love to do… I think it might have more to do with accepting the “creative” process of transition and giving yourself time to gracefully get through it.

One of my New Year intentions is to cook more. How’s it going? To be honest, last week I felt like cooking had become my part-time job.  Now, I could continue being frustrated and grumpy, letting cooking overwhelm me (note: this attitude did not serve me well last week

Or, I can change my perspective – Is it really a part-time job or is it a creative project in process?

I’m learning a new way of being. It’s going to take some time to settle in. Do I still want the end result…making food my friends and family enjoy, that makes us healthier, stronger, lighter? Yes! Do I want to help my clients be able to do the same? Yes! How can I help them if I’m not trying myself?

So, what do I need to do to stay energized about this project?

• Give myself more time to plan, shop, plan, prepare and clean up. Creativity takes time to percolate. It’s going to take me awhile to get my groove down.

• Trust the process. I’m in learning mode. By the end of the year, I trust that I’ll have found my way, a new way of being in the kitchen.
• Enjoy the process. Don’t force it or become exhausted by it. That’s no fun for anyone… especially when you’re cooking. The kitchen is no place for bad energy.
• Look at the big picture. I had a cold last week. I was tired. I didn’t plan my menu so I was at the grocery store everyday. I tried too many new recipes. It was just too much considering I didn’t feel well while trying to juggle the rest of life.

It’s a New Year. A clean slate. What will you create?

p.s. – I hope you’ll join Barefoot Studio’s 90-Day Transformation Challenge and my New Year, New You Workshop Series beginning January 28th at Barefoot Studio, Tucson !