This is the first in a series of "notes to self", hard truths, love notes, and everything in between in a bid to get clear, get honest, get conscious.
If you want to write notes to yourself, I invite you to join me in a daily (ok to be honest it's a semi daily but aiming for daily) practice. You are welcome to write them online here, in your own journal or wherever you wish.
Just write them! It's a great practice in getting conscious and having an honest conversation with yourself!
" Dear Self,
If there's a gap between what you keep saying is important to you, and the amount of effort you actually commit to it... Perhaps you need to rethink your priorities.
Said with love,
B"
I've started writing short notes to myself daily. It's an intentional practice of getting honest with myself. This all started because I sat in bed this morning feeling a bit exhausted and quite glum about the fact that it's only 9 January and I'm tired.
But then I got honest with myself!
Last year I said self care was important to me and to some extent I prioritised eating right and exercising, but I didn't prioritise:
boundaries,
saying no,
taking time for myself,
building breaks into my schedule.
You get the picture!
By the end of 2022 I was burned out and didn't want to wish anyone a happy festive season - I felt decidedly like the Christmas grinch. I don't want to be that person again this year.
I also said that building my business and putting resilient systems in place was a priority for me, along with launching a group coaching programme focusing on getting conscious, curious, courageous, compassionate.... But instead I invested way too much effort elsewhere and took my eye off my goals.
It was December too quickly and I was lamenting not having gone further than talking about my group coaching programme. I won't even talk about my book... And please don't ask!
If I'm honest with myself I know I set myself very high targets to achieve and if I achieve some of my goals well then I'm winning!
So part of this is about me getting real with myself this year, accepting that I don't have to do everything in one year, picking what's really important to me and investing my effort systematically in working towards my priorities.
That said.... Binge watching almost every soppy Christmas movie on Netflix for a week in December was about all my brain could cope with... And now after a week away at the beach I'm ready to keep being honest with myself, being intentional every day in how I invest my time and effort, and slowly but surely building systems to support me in staying focused.
This is a year of being conscious, curious, compassionate, courageous, creative and connected.