The New Year has begun. And January 1st feels like a dim memory.
Has it only been 16 days since we entered a new decade full of optimism (or holiday fatigue for some)? I recall January 1st. I was nestled under a blanket by the Christmas tree as my top 5 priorities for 2020 seemingly wrote themselves onto the page in my journal. (And yes, I was surprise by what topped that list!).
Why then is my memory of that lovely “me time” so dim today?
I clearly see how a busy schedule with lots of interactions, to do-ing, and planning could easily lead me onto the mindless treadmill. Without a commitment to tune into those dreams (goals) on a weekly basis, I would easily succumb to sleep walking through the year. But that is not gonna happen to me this year.
I’m unwilling to give up on myself that easily. Nor do I wish to squander the precious moments of this Life.
Intent is important, as are self-reflection, Soul dreaming, Treasure Mapping, practical action, and personal commitment to follow through. Looking at the time segment of one year (2020), I began with my intent to discern what my Soul is dreaming for the year. I did this on the 1st and you can do it whenever you choose. (Hint: if self-reflection isn’t scheduled, it likely won’t happen). What do you do once that time is scheduled? Try this process.
Settle within the depth of your being and ask your Soul for the top 5 priorities for this year.
This isn’t a thinking exercise nor a creation process from the small mind. It is simple and entirely doable. Settle into a quiet space with the intent to drop within your being and talk with your soul. Ask the top 5 priorities question and record the answers. Don’t overthink this, make it complicated, or use too many words. It is quick, flowing, and at times nonlinear. Sometimes the list completes itself as you shower, commute to work, or do an errand. Soul time, not linear time.
Pay attention and have some fun. The Soul wants to download the Map Markers for the year. So let it.
Once the list writes itself, keep those priorities in front of you. Visually. Post them in your bathroom so they are viewed morning and night. Write them in your journal and create a bookmark that moves through your journal. Create time in your week to review these priorities and how you are living them (or not). If you snooze, you lose focus. Self-correction on a weekly basis requires only small tweaks to course correct. This is practical and ultimately less painful than the need for a massive overhaul when you’ve wandered off the Soulful path.
To discover those clues revealing how you lived the past year, ask the 3-3-1-1 questions.
The Treasure Mapping Process is endlessly creative, flexible, and playful. When mapping a new year, it is useful to reverse the playful exploration of clue’s on the path forward. To do this, mentally float back over the previous year to discover your patterns of growth and stagnation.
What 3 useful actions (habits) did I establish last year which moved me forward in the direction of my personal goals and Soul intent?
What were 3 habits which interfered with me moving forward in the direction of my personal goals and Soul intent?
What is 1 habit-action that I have yet to cultivate which will most significantly move me in the direction of my 2020 priorities?
What is 1 habit-action I must release in order to significantly move me in the direction of my 2020 priorities?
Drop in, ask the questions, witness what arises in your mind/memory, and identify the habit-actions which answer the questions. Look for established habits rather than temporary phases (eg, drinking 8 glasses of water every day rather than here and there when thirsty). Spend some time recalling the intent, effort, strategies, and most importantly, the reason you chose to create these new habits.
Reverse Treasure Mapping allows you to celebrate your gains as well as identify how to best support your intentions.
A few words to those of you who are human. You have the capacity for self-reflection which is an essential component of your evolution. You also have the capacity for self-criticism when looking at what you did and did not accomplish. Be kind. Humans have growing pains. Don’t add to the pain by berating yourself. That is the internalized critical voice which knows nothing about dreaming and everything about shutting you down.
Empower your dreams, don’t crush them before they sprout.
You can use the Reverse Treasure Mapping Process for your 5 Top Priorities or for each item. Your choice. Your way. Your 2020. Remember the power of scheduling time for self reflection, the huge benefit of tiny action consistently applied, and befriending yourself throughout the process.
If you want to tune into your Soulful Map for 2020, join me for a Treasure Mapping adventure on Saturday, January 25th.
I’ll help you amp up your intuitive superpower, engage the Oracle of Soul Sanctuary, and venture out into the ‘real world’ for a scavenger hunt. Discovering the clues for your 2020 Soulful Map is child’s play.
Peace be with you and with all. No exceptions.
It doesn’t take much to kick start the habit of self reflection. You are wired for this natural action. Pairing an open ended question with quiet time for daydreaming is incredibly restorative for your mind-body-emotion connection. Allowing space to meander, wonder, and wander without the distraction of everyday tasks opens the mind. Within a relaxed, curious state, images, ideas, and insights float in and out. Add a dose of neutrality as you witness without any pressure to record, decide, or act upon these ideas. Daydreaming is under utilized. especially given the proven benefits to health and success. Ready, set, daydream.
Learn the one essential skill that allows you to face any challenge with confidence, sturdiness, and inner calm.
More than a technique. It’s a game changer.
Life is stressful. Always.
If you pause for a moment, you’ll see there is always something stressful happening. It might be mild, like when you’re running a bit late for an appointment. Or significant, like dealing with a major loss or facing a radical change in your life. If there’s a weather disaster, a country in disarray, or a threat to your livelihood, the stress meter goes way up.
One cool Spring morning, I stepped on the treadmill at the gym looking forward to walking a few miles. Recovering from an injury, I had to walk at a moderate pace so I had brought my copy of What Is Enlightenment? magazine to explore. I always found something to inspire me within this publication focused upon consciousness, culture, and cosmos.
Stress is a natural experience in life. It’s often viewed as a doorway to disruption of wellbeing, peace of mind, and a clear navigational path in a challenging situation.
I’m a bit of a news hound these days. As one who hasn’t watched a newscast in years, I’m surprising myself. Ordinarily, I wait for the news to come to me. And it does. When something is important for me to know or respond to, I hear about it. Kind friends, clients, my husband, or a random stranger share a soundbite which cues me to look into a situation further. I’ve been very comfortable with this level of engagement for years now.
In the midst of our country’s woes, I’ve got Lucinda Williams singing in my head.
“You can’t rule me
you wanna go and tell me what’s good for me
you wanna tell me what I’m payin’ for
Well, the game is fixed, it’s plain to see
I ain’t playin’ no more”
I drove through a hail storm today. It began gently, offering a musical accompaniment to my journey. Intensifying, the hail noisily demanded my attention.
