My New Year's Resolutions - A three month review

In January I blogged about some creative intentions I was incorporating into my list of New Year’s Resolutions for 2009. These creative intentions were set with the idea of taking care of myself so that I would have enough energy to enjoy time spent with my friends and family. Since we are now 25% of the way through the year I thought it would be a good idea to revisit my list. These first three months have seemingly gone by very quickly so I am interested to see if I did better than I think.

Here is a recap with a progress report on each:

1) Download one new song to my iPOD weekly, preferably something not played on the radio every day.
I identified 6 songs I wanted to download but haven’t gone so far as to add them to my iPOD yet. Not quite what I was going for, but I did make some progress.

2) Try out one new recipe per month.
Woops, I forgot about this one! I did flag several recipes in a cookbook to try. You may see the picture as proof. I just didn’t actually cook any of them.

3) Spend time in nature once per month.
I am on track here. In January, I ate lunch by the lake at a park. In February, we took a family trip to the beach. A trip to the Oakland Zoo was the choice for March.

4) Play soccer once per week.
This has also been accomplished, except for one week I sat out due to a sprained ankle. Several times I played two games in the same week.

5) Volunteer with three or more organizations.
Currently, I am spreading the word about 12for$12K. Until March I was a tutor with Reading Partners but had to end the weekly commitment when the hours at my job changed. Later in the year I will support The Family Giving Tree as I do every year.

6) Smile and laugh as much as possible.
Being around my children and following some very humorous people on Twitter have made this an easy accomplishment. Laughter has been a daily event for weeks now and I am so much better for it.

How are you doing on your list of goals or resolutions for 2009? If you didn’t create a list previously, spend 30 minutes of your time creating a list of things you would like to accomplish and places you would like to visit this year. Then spend some time figuring out how to fit the things you want to do and places you want to visit into your calendar.

In the next few weeks, I will be posting some thoughts on calendaring for families so be sure to check back for additional ideas.

Stop, pause, let go, reset

Yesterday I really needed to slow way down and calm the anxiety that had built over several days of not accomplishing as much as I would have liked. Normally, I like to have a plan for the most part to stay on track but due to an office move at work, any plans made were complicated by a number of factors and more stress than normal ensued. It all needed to be dealt with yesterday.

I woke up with a migraine headache that affected my vision somewhat as well as my mood. I recognized that I had a headache so I didn’t jump to any other conclusions but my patience and tolerance was much less than normal. I went about my morning routine but with some confusion and frustration. After letting tears flow for a few minutes while I stood in my driveway, I dropped my toddler off at daycare and proceeded to drive to work. Only a few minutes into my drive, after being in direct sunlight did I realize my headache was worse than I thought, so I called work saying I would be late, drove to a nearby café and bought juice and a cookie. Then I sat in my car and tried to relax making sure to take some deep breaths as I ate. I turned off the car radio and closed my eyes.

The image that almost immediately came in view was of a tree without any leaves, maybe four feet tall, surrounded by a patch of white snow on the ground in the middle of an expanse of dirt ground. As stark as the tree was, I was captivated by it. Its small trunk and bare branches showed resilience in the face of harsh winter weather as illustrated by the rest of the scene. I knew that when the sun appeared again and the temperatures became warmer, it would grow new leaves and project beauty to all around. I opened my eyes and my thoughts were no longer scattered. It had taken only a matter of minutes for me to restore a competent and calm state of being once I took it upon myself to let go of the reins, even if only for a few minutes. It didn’t matter that I was sitting in a car in the middle of a shopping center parking lot with sounds of traffic and shopping carts being pushed in the periphery. I was able to focus, regain control of my thoughts, recognize my slower breathing and be thankful for having the rest of my day before me. Had I plowed ahead with my daily list of things to be done with little regard for my own health, I probably would have wound up doing myself more harm than good.

Today take at least five minutes for yourself to reset. Perhaps you can walk instead of driving to pickup lunch or sit in your car for a few minutes before going into an appointment. How do you slow down to reset? Do you have a favorite place to meditate or unwind?

I look forward to reading your comments.

What’s the Rush? The Importance of Stillness in Fostering Creativity

Last night I was feeling quite tired and went to bed after a day well spent. I thought after a few minutes of listening to music I would drift off to sleep but another unexpected thing happened. I was laying flat on my back with my eyes shut, feeling quite comfortable and enjoying my personal concert through my headphones when I could feel the music pulsing through me. I started thinking of all sorts of visuals to go with the music and then the flood gates of creativity opened. All of a sudden I felt fully awake again. I remembered things I had wanted to research earlier in the day. It was an amazing feeling! No longer was I tired. Energy flowed through me. Of course I had to get up to act on my ideas.

On a daily basis it is so easy to get caught up in routines and schedules and all of the things that need to be done. We focus so much on accomplishment and staying on top of everything. Just thinking about how we will do everything is tiring and the inflow of information is unrelenting. Modes of communication have been shrunken to conversations of 140 characters or less occurring at any time during the day and from virtually anywhere. Lunch and dinner have become a meal eaten in 10 minutes or less, often while doing something else. The value of stillness and solitude to bring in creativity and rejuvenation is lost. Yet, in all the rush our productivity and well-being is actually compromised. If all we did was take a few minutes in pause each day to allow our minds to truly wander, without outside influence, we could find solutions to problems we have been pondering for days. Sometimes taking a step backward to look at things a different way can have huge benefits.

So, today take time to be alone with your thoughts, even if only for a few minutes. See where your thoughts lead you and what feelings you experience throughout the process. Did the process improve your results and attitude?

New Year's Resolutions to Re-energize the Human Spirit

With all that is going on in the world today it is really easy to lose sight of what’s really important, ourselves. Especially during times of stress it is vitally important to take care of ourselves so that we have enough energy to enjoy time with our friends and family and be fully present with them. No one wants to miss out on life because they are sick. Engaging in physical activity and eating a healthy variety of foods on a regular basis are only two parts of the puzzle. Being creative and stimulating our brain is also necessary to feel truly alive. Just a small amount of effort on a consistent basis can have a big effect towards improving our state of being.

For 2009 I am incorporating some creative intentions into my list of New Year’s Resolutions. As inspiration for others, here is my list:

1) Download one new song to my iPOD weekly, preferably something not played on the radio every day.
This will give me at least 52 new songs for me to listen to and introduce me to great artists that don’t get enough media attention.

2) Try out one new recipe per month.
It’s not difficult to find 12 new recipes. The hard part is planning for it during your week to make sure the needed ingredients are bought and on hand. Enough new ideas for almost two weeks of dinners by the end of the year, a great start to a collection of family favorites!

3) Spend time in nature once per month.
I would love this to be a weekly event, if not more often, but considering my schedule it’s just not likely unfortunately. However, this is important to me to feel grounded so I am starting my goal-setting small in this area with plans to increase the frequency when possible. This includes visits to the mountains, trails, and beaches during the year.

4) Play soccer once per week.
Since I play in two adult leagues with overlapping schedules this shouldn’t be difficult. I love soccer and have been playing for twenty years. Besides the physical benefits, I enjoy the camaraderie with my teammates and forget all of my worries while playing because my mind is so much focused on the game.

5) Volunteer with three or more organizations.
Performing community service always gives me a good, warm feeling to know that I am helping others who need it. Depending on the project, I sometimes learn new skills too as another added benefit.

6) Smile and laugh as much as possible.
After all, laugher is the best medicine. My children are big supporters in this area.

I hope this list has stirred your imagination and you are already creating your own mental list of things to prioritize for a healthier you in the coming months ahead. If you are interested in learning more about some physical activities you may not be aware of be sure to see my previous post Have You Played Today? for some additional suggestions.

I would love to receive comments on your ideas for incorporating more creativity into your life.

Bright Blue Skies and a Positive Attitude

Yesterday was an absolutely glorious day! The sky was a gorgeous blue with no smog in sight. The rolling hillsides were lush and green. It was a bit windy which made the air feel crisp and cool. I was so thankful to not be stuck in my cubicle at work with only the khaki fabric panels of my cubicle and a 15 inch computer monitor (not even flat screen) in sight. TGIF!

Due to the economy my regular work hours as well as my usual paycheck were cut 30% in November. Although this has resulted in a financial strain for my household it has also given me 3 day weekends. I love Fridays because after I drop off my son at daycare I get to spend the day how I want. Sometimes I bask in the joy of shopping without two toddlers in tow. Other days I work at a client's site doing freelance bookkeeping gigs. It's my choice and that is a great feeling! By giving myself one day weekly that is not programmed for the most part (except for my league soccer matches) I am allowing myself to breathe. This practice has allowed my creative thoughts to flow. When I get good ideas, which is often these days, such an excitement wells up inside me and I am eager to start right away. Then, I find myself having to scale my excitement, and efforts, since there are only so many hours available in any given day and sleep is rather important. Yet, this is a good problem to have!

I cannot say everything always works out as planned. Once in a while I have to switch my day off at work to cover for a coworker who is on vacation. It might work out the my husband is called into work an extra shift so I need to watch my 2 year old. Mother Nature may even intervene and damper if not completely rain out planned outdoor activities. Yet the intention is there and about 75% of the time I get to reconnect with the true me who loves to spend time outdoors, listen to the rain, write, read and spend quality time with my children.

What does your true self like to do? Have you built time into your schedule to reconnect with your true self on a regular basis?