HOW TO CREATE TIME AND SPACE FOR NEW BEGINNINGS

As we move forward and out of our current funk of what the last year has brought us, we are all looking for new intentions and maybe a bit of change. The truth is, change doesn’t come overnight. In my experience, it comes in slow, steady work done over months and years. It can be tempting to decide to change everything all at once: your body, your mind, your practices – even where you live or your job. Change is great, and embracing change is an essential life skill we could all use a little more of. But we could also stand to benefit from first looking at what we did achieve in the past year and then looking forward to your future. It’s so easy to feel in lack: lack of what we don’t have, who we are not, what we have not yet done, whilst forgetting to appreciate and really CELEBRATE who we already are.
Think of intention setting as a harm reduction practice to avoid signing yourself up for something you can’t complete. So often knee-jerk decisions made are based in fear and guilt — and although fear can be a great motivator, it’s also likely to continue a cycle of fear and guilt — and may not even really be a part of your path or plan for yourself. So instead of giving yourself a blueprint to figure out exactly how to bust through a 10-page list of resolutions and smash them one-by-one why not take a deep look at what you really want?

Take a deep breath in. Close your eyes and tell your heart you love it, and that you’re in this together. Then, take out a paper and pen and write all the ways you did well since the start of the pandemic. It can be as simple as “started recycling,” as normal as “showed up at work,” or as big as “exercised 3x per week” — because that IS big! Write down as much as you can think of and thank yourself for showing up in ways both big and small. You’ll be impressed at how much you actually did when you look back at it. We have to look back to look forward.
Then create a ritual around what you want now, so it feels sacred and completely individual to you. Light a candle, create a space in your home where you can ask for what you need. Really listen in to your heart for the answers of what it wants, of where you want to go and what you want to do with long-term, achievable plans and goals. That’s where the excitement is, and where the real change happens. Start a new notebook and plot your it out, month-by-month and think about where you’ll be through out the year. Try to visualize what you want, and how you want to feel rather than what you want to have. It’s a very powerful practice, and it works.
Don’t be afraid to dream. What if the impossible were possible? Write it out.
Get creative. Make a collage or a vision board with old magazines for your intentions — make it beautiful. Create your vision.
Incorporate ritual. Light a candle, cleanse your space with wood or herbs, take a few minutes to breathe and meditate on what you want for yourself, and let the magic happen.

We look forward to seeing every have a healthy and happy New Year.