This post was originally sent as our Mindful Mondays newsletter on December 23, 2019. Join us! You can sign up on the sidebar or here.
Hello hello!
There is some New Year’s Resolution related material further on down this email, but first...
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As we approach Christmas day I’d like to welcome you to Mindful Mondays 🙂
This is where I'll share some of the mindful-oriented things I find around the internet.
I love the internet. Specifically, I love reading blogs and magazines and other writings, and, to a lesser extent, watching videos. I also listen to my fair share of podcasts, usually while riding my bike to and from work, or driving to my mom’s house, 20 minutes away.
(For the record, Offgrid Mindfulness is about having boundaries with technology and using it for connection, not banishing tech from our lives altogether.)
Every Monday (most Mondays?) I’ll share a theme and some related information from around the world wide web.
Themes will include meditation, spirituality, creativity, digital wellness, productivity, relationships…….
Anything is fair game that’s directly or tangentially related to living life with intention.
Who knows what might happen! That’s part of the adventure, and I’m excited to share it with you.
Feel free to reply to this email and we can start the conversation…..right..…now….. 🙂
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Let's set the tone for 2020
Even though you probably have a full few days coming up, here’s something to let percolate in the back of your mind during the next week.
For the past two years I’ve foregone having new year resolutions and instead I’ve come up with a word for the year.
I’ve loved this tradition because the word isn’t pass/fail, it’s a touchstone I can come back to throughout the year, a concise reminder of what’s important to me.
Two years ago my word was vibrant. During a mini-crisis that July it turned into a rallying cry for how I would spend my summer: instead of striving or efforting towards a goal of some sort – outside of my job, I had about four different projects I was interested in pursuing – I gave myself permission to take a few months to mountain bike and read books.
I trusted that if I didn’t try too hard to “figure things out” – a phrase which I’ve come to see as a red flag – my path would sort itself out and become clear.
As that summer (of 2018) approached Labor Day that’s exactly what happened, and I started developing the Awake Mindfulness Clock.
Fired up by my new endeavor, my word for 2019 was relentless.
Doh! I picked a word which was little too resolution-like.
In other words, I set myself up for failure. I’m already hard enough on myself; during my relentless year I had to contort any desire for downtime into a story of how recharging was a necessary part of being a productive human. The net effect was possibly counter-productive.
Live and learn.
A few days ago a potential word for 2020 came to me — suddenly and clearly…in the shower, obviously. I’m sitting with the word for now; I’m pretty sure it’s blockading any other candidates.
Whatever word I end up choosing – or which chooses me – I'll share it next Monday.
We’ve arrived at the main reason I’m writing to you on Christmas Eve Eve: to plant some seeds.
I’ll repeat these questions in next week’s newsletter, but for now here they are for your cursory inspection:
- What do you want your life in 2020 to look like?
- Is it a planting year? A reaping year? A maintenance year?
- Would a general intention serve you? Or would a concrete resolution serve you better?
If you feel like sharing, let me know what you’re thinking, I’d be thrilled to hear from you.
Also, let me know if you’d like me to resend this email to you on Friday so you can read it again when you have a bit more space. I’d be happy to do so.
Reply to this email and let me know.
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On New Year’s Eve 2017 friends and I hosted a pop-up dinner for 24. I interviewed some of them (including my initially-reluctant mother) about their intentions for 2018 and made a podcast out of it.
You can listen to it here if you’re interested. I just relistened and I think it’s fun and possibly instructive to hear even if you weren’t there.
New Year's Eve 2017: Podcasting it up with my friend Eva
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I came across this post by Tim Ferriss about foregoing resolutions. Part of his process involves a fairly brief (30 minute) year-end review to decide what to focus on in the coming year.
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If you’ve read this far, thank you, and again, welcome!
One final note: I’ve been trying to make a shift in my mindset and I’ll share it with you with this parting wish....
I hope your next few days feel full rather than busy 🙂
Warm holiday-season wishes,
L.R.
Offgrid Mindfulness
303 479 3398
P.S.: As I mentioned - just reply to this email if you have any questions or comments! I'd love to hear from you. I hope you have a Merry Christmas, even if you don't celebrate it 🙂