I am grateful for the events of the last four days:
- 2 day conference in London on embedding best practices in workplace mental health – I learnt a great deal and met good people
- Staying with my gorgeous sister and brother in law
- Seeing my sister singing/reading at her beautiful Christmas choral concert
- Having a bit of an emotional meltdown after the conf… slinging some mud across my own parapet… and being met with immense wisdom and generosity of spirit and mind even though I had caused hurt and pain by lashing out…
- Dialogues that sort out concerns, worries and dilemmas about big future changes… Talking is powerful/clarifying/bonding and we are learning together so well. I am blessed by the wisdom, care, fortitude of this person. <3
- Good decisions about future habits – decision to go dry on 1st Jan 2019 again – up to late Nov 2019 and do ‘Damp December 2019’ (as I did in Dec 2017, only Dry Jan 2018 never flew…with serious consequences to health/weight/self-regulation.) MEDS Project has tried to address this but I really am an abstinence-rather-than-‘moderation’ kinda gal. And G is on board too – wow, awesome.
- So, on 1st Jan 2019, I will be stopping Carbs, Alcohol, Caffeine (“CAC” – sounds about right 🙂 …) Deep breath. This is perfectly possible.
- Returning home from London to a hand-delivered from my estate agent ‘notice seeking possession’ of the house in Feb 19 – I’m moving whether I like it not now… Good. There is a beautiful future ahead.
- Brilliant house-sorting and clearing – ready for moving house. Incredibly generous support (and elbow-grease) from my Love. Thank you, darling.
Hello, dear part of me which knows and guides. How is all this sounding?
You know what you’re doing. You’re looking to the future.
I am! How can I clean and clear the decks more effectively, softly, wholly? I know the future must be… as simple as possible. No more proliferation. No more piles of paper and plans. I only need one flavour of jam on my stall, as G says.
Habits. You’ve worked on the topic of ‘habits’ over the last few days. Know that you are indeed laying down good habits. Trust in them. Allow the power of ‘automation’ to kick in.
Yes, it’s true. eg I now go into the kitchen each morning and start by emptying/filling machines while the kettle is boiling – so now keeping on top of laundry and washing up is automated. Similarly, when I get back into bed with my coffee, I pull out my laptop for writing – the rhythm is automated. I can see that I can do more of this – especially if I guard my time better by, for example, only scheduling meetings in the afternoon, so I can get the maximum benefit out of a routinised, automated morning…
Bit by bit, every day. Hence Download Hour (20m Meditation | 20m Trot | 20m Qigong)… Just habitualise it. It’ll change your life.
And maybe after Download Hour (and shower) I would ‘habitually’ do my Yesterbox (emails of yesterday)…?
Indeed. Maybe… This is about reducing the impulse to attain dopamine by constantly creating newness and bubbles of spontaneity which appear to ‘rock your world’ but actually just rock your boat. It’s about prioritising keeping the ANS in a peaceful state. It’s about shedding the idea that repetition is boring… and understanding that well-chosen habits, repeated again and again, unlock the door to your deepest dreams.
Oof. Nice! Ok. Thank you. I know my ego and my inner child seek newness for stimulation. My inner monk is good with repetition though… I’ll let this sink in. Time for Download Hour. Ty for this.
As ever – go gently. Nudge gently forward. Smooth sweeps. Deep breaths. Calmly as she goes… Today you are forming the habits for the rest of your life, a life well-lived ‘in purpose’. Let these habits get laid down in your neural pathways so that they may support you to do the simple (‘one flavour of jam’) work you would like to do. Rest in what you know works for your aims. Let simplicity be your guide whenever habit-making is at hand.
Today I am forming simple good habits. Amen.
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| MEDS Trackers Dec2018 (chart here): | |
| Med&Ex: Download Hour – Med | Aerobic | Qigong | YES! |
| Diet: Chopchopchop – mindful, plant-based food | YES! |
| Sleep: Sleepstate: 9Screens, 10Books | Nearly.. |
| Med minutes: Honest Guys 5/5 | 20 |
| Active minutes | 26 |
| Steps | 6809 |
| Food: Muesli; coffee&cream; tea; cabbage&sweetpotato; fishpie&greens; choc; late night olives and halloumi and G&T | |
| Dry? | Nope |
| Screens off | 11 |
| In bed (with books..) | 11 |
| Hours slept (as per next morning) | 6h23 |
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