Posts by Pat:
We’ve got 4 weeks left!
December is a month of highs and lows, stress and relaxation, endings and beginnings. It’s crazy!
And we can make it even crazier and do something life-changing by taking this idea and wrapping it up as a gift certificate!
GIFT CERTIFICATE: “I have hereby received (from myself) the gift of an hour a week in December to prepare for one life-changing new habit in 2025.”
We know build-up to the holidays is often a mixed bag of…
- joy in the season,
- anxiety over money,
- stress and over-commitments!
And, we know as the year is ending and winter is truly descending, December dishes out a bit of melancholy sparked with a dab of hope that…
- the year to come will be better,
- and that life will be better,
- and that we will be better.
All we need is one new habit, one positive life change that can provide us with a cornucopia of self-esteem, fulfillment and happiness. But since we all know that change takes work, we will need to prepare for it.
So let’s each ask ourself these questions:
- How do I want my life to be different in 2025?
- How can I live more in alignment with my values?
- How can I be more loving to myself?
This does involve some thought, introspection and planning. So here are 3 suggestions for us:
- CHOOSE just one habit to create. Something small and easy that will take only 5 minutes a day for the first couple of weeks. (Rather than committing to a full overhaul of our diet we could just add an extra serving of vegetables to our daily meals.)
2. PLAN the time when it will be easy to do it. We can set it up immediately following a “trigger.” (A trigger is an already established habit we do regularly, like doing a simple weight exercise right after brushing our teeth.)
3. ENSURE that we will follow through. Set up a reward system, giving ourselves 5 minutes of favorite music or a piece of dark chocolate or putting gold stars on a calendar! YES!
We can set up a system of accountability beforehand. (a friend, an online support group, comments on our Facebook page?)
I’m thinking of simplifying, letting go of stuff, decluttering (books, clothes, yarn, files, more?) I will set my timer for the minimum of 5 minutes a day just after my mid-day meal.
What new habit would you be interested in starting for 2025?
Not just in November…
We often need the reminder that gratitude is an attitude we carry with us throughout each day, not just in the few minutes we spend noting items in a gratitude journal and not just one day in November! I’d like to suggest a few simple techniques to spread gratitude around as we enjoy each day. […]
Remember Forrest Gump?
Forrest Gump dies and goes to Heaven and is met by St. Peter himself at the Pearly Gates. But the gates are closed. St. Peter says, “Well, Forrest, it’s certainly good to see you. I must tell you though that the place is filling up fast and we’ve been administering an entrance exam for everyone. […]
The day after…
Politics! Politics! Politics! Why were we so cranky? Could it be overload? Is it that “enough” had become “more than enough?” Is that why we were so quick to snap at a family member or co-worker when the conversation turned to the election? Maybe it’s because: After all, for most of us it has felt […]
Remember this Zen story?
Words matter, even when they are few! A man joined a monastery in which the monks were allowed to speak only two words every seven years. After the first seven years had passed, the new initiate met with the abbot who asked him, “Well, what are your two words?” “Food’s bad,” replied the man, who […]
Remember this old saying?
There’s a fable behind the phrase “this too shall pass” which has origins in Sufi and Hebrew folklore that feels like deep wisdom to me. I hope this story anchors it for you too. One day King Solomon asked Benaiah Ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister, “Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want […]
What’s YOUR perspective?
Once there was a person who wanted to relocate to a new village. Wondering if he’d like his new town, he went to consult the Zen master, “Do you think I will like this new village? Are the people nice?” The Zen master asked: “How were the people in the town where you come from?” […]
Pessimistic squirrels?!
Nooo! I don’t want to believe it! I’ve prided myself on being an optimist! And I just know that it is good for me to think optimistically!! But… research published by the American Psychological Association showed that pessimists, because of their penchant for seeing life through a grim lens, take steps to improve their health […]
Are we asking the wrong questions?
Asking “why” is often the wrong question. Of course we know our brain loves to solve problems and can figure out how to make a pumpkin pie, sail across oceans, or build a house. It is a wonderful tool for problem solving and creativity. But… when we are trying to understand ourselves, to find a […]
Stuff happens.
I am not the only one. You are not the only one. We are not the only ones to experience stress, difficulty, frustration and painful experiences. What happens to me or you happens to ALL of us. There is no conspiracy against us. We are not the laboratory rats of the universe. My age may […]