It’s that time of year. The holidays have gone their merry way, the new year has arrived, and you may be starting to stress about how you’re going to ever really accomplish all of the goals on your new year’s list. Fret not dear friends!
I’ve got a great round-up of tips of help you navigate your way through the end of January unscathed and re-inspired. Think of these tips like a booster shot of energy when you need it most.
Perhaps you feel properly inspired already. Well, then – first off congrats! We’re grateful to have you in our company. And, I think there’s something in this list for you too. Perhaps something that will keep you on your toes and keep you feeling most alive!
10 Tips to Stay Inspired This Season
New goals require more than good intentions. To successfully integrate a habit into your day-to-day or week-to-week the new habit needs to become ritualized. Think of the process of brushing your teeth: It’s almost invariably at the same times and place each day. At an early age you practiced day after day how to brush your teeth until it became automatic.
So, how will you monitor your progress on something like growing your business or exercising regularly? Enter the habit tracker. The idea is simple–keep the tracker in a visible spot and each day mark down if you completed your day’s goal! We love this printable tracker from Make29 or you can easily make your own. Remember, big things happen one day at a time.
Have you ever noticed that the soundtrack of a movie is almost as telling as the action? If you’re losing steam this month, kick your life tempo up a notch – literally! Select a few of your favorite songs and create a no-fail playlist to bring your mood back to the high side of positive. We’ve made a short and fun playlist to get you started. Check out our Inspiration Jam Station below.
Sometimes there’s a certain person who always has the magic to set you straight when you’re feeling foul. But if you’re like many of us this special friend might just live far, far away. It’s hard to connect (and we mean really connect) when you can’t swing by for cocktails after work or meet for brunch. Besides the obvious next best step (yes, your smartphone will actually make a call!) why not try some good ol’ fashion snail mail?
Not only is it therapeutic to write out what’s on your mind, your best bud will be able to absorb your message without distraction. Our suggestion for a fun way to keep the mailbox full: Happy Mail by the team at A Beautiful Mess. Full of well designed airmail goodness for a steal. Buy a single kit or for the more prolific ladies a monthly subscription!
Who is encouraging your writing goal these days or offering advice on how to pull off a difficult yoga pose? Remember in high school when you were in clubs after school and connected with others over the school paper or the latest in fiber arts? Why did we ever let that go?
These days, if the club you want doesn’t exist, call up a few friends and form it yourself! We know of a women’s group that formed when a couple of girlfriends decided to get together regularly for brunch. They each invited a neighbor or friend and now it’s a regular community get together. Want to know what clubs your area offers? Check out Meetup.com for tons of options.
You’re probably heard this before but it bears mentioning again: why not become a tourist in your own town? There’s probably a lot about your area you’ve always been to busy to see or do. Take a weekend this month and go do something fun. It will help you see everything under your nose with new eyes.
What would it look like if you were really inspired? Like on-fire inspired. How would you hold your body? What would you wear? It’s important to not just set a clear goal but also to imagine the outcome–exactly what life will look like when you accomplish it. Want help on clarifying what you’re really after? Investigate your core desired feelings with white hot mastermind Danielle Laporte.
It’s more than just January magazine speak. You really do need to consider what you’re putting into your body in order to get the results you seek–whether your goal is body related or not. Remember, your brain runs on the fuel you feed it and if you’re feeding it junk, well, then, we can assume your thinking is going to be pretty clunky too.
Try out a smoothie in the morning for radical brain booster. Make it easy on yourself and set up smoothie packs for the whole week. Just take a quart sized zip lock bag and fill it with the proper amount of ingredients for one smoothie. Load them into the freezer for safe keeping until the day you need it. Done and done. Kris Carr is our smoothie goddess and her Juices & Smoothies e-book has the most delicious smoothies you should try.
Though it may be the end goal that keeps your fantasy on fire, it’s the baby steps that make it possible. Make note of those baby steps and take time to share your progress. When you reach the end of one small step find a way to congratulate yourself.
Do you like small rewards like an extra fancy morning coffee? How about a mini dance party? Or what if you wrote a journal entry that day and said only nice things about yourself? But before you finish the celebration have your next step in mind [see #1 and #6]. If you don’t have a clear vision in mind for your progress, it’s all too easy to plateau on your goal.
Spend time each week doing what you love. You may not always have a club to join, a friend to call on, or a special someone who shares your unique passion. But that’s no reason not to spend a little time on yourself doing what you love most. In The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron encourages readers to schedule an “artist date” every week to practice their craft. Whether you’re an artist or not, spending time immersed in a world that brings you to a state of flow can help inspire other areas of your life that are looking a bit lackluster.
Good job, you’re here! If you’re reading this you’re well on your way to staying more inspired this year. But in all seriousness, find the pockets of online community that light you up. You don’t have to read every famous blog (you know that right?). You don’t have to stay up to date on the of-the-moment-it-girls or it-sites just because that’s what other people are doing. But you do need to find the web hubs that speak to your heart and will be a support to you long after the trends of the season fade.
For me, sites like TGWK offers a way to connect with my whole being, and keeps me aware of how my everyday life can be expanded with simple attention on sensory experience. It’s not every site that can offer such varied and thoughtful content. Find the places that speak to you and hold on! In need of some new inspiring reads? How about Gala Darling for some Radical Self Love or Coffee + Crumbs for some soul soothing collective wisdom on modern motherhood.
Leave a comment below and let us know what your best tips are for staying inspired this year. We’d love to hear!
xo
Natanya
Top image by Lisa Wiseman Photography
Additional photos via: Make29, A Beautiful Mess, Unsplash
