In January, while laying the foundations for the year ahead, and reflecting on 2023, we were asked to do a few things…
I mentioned that Gretchen Rubin got me (and thousands of others) creating lists for each year, ie 24 for 2024 this year. She also suggests other ideas to help you learn more about yourself, guide your life, and define a given year. READ MORE
She often talks about big-life goals, along with accepting our ‘season of life’… being realistic about where you are right now- relishing it, being patient and working from wherever that is. (Just as we should approach our yoga practice)
If you’ve got small kids and a busy family and work life, your dream of writing a novel or dedicating time to an expensive hobby probably won’t happen this year, but photographing those kids, creating memories with them, celebrating smaller wins, can! We also have to accept ourselves, while still having high expectations. I am a night person, and I finally accept that, so I am not going to strive to get up at 5am to do sunrise yoga– it’s not me! I can still fit in a daily practice though, and focus on 8-hours of sleep, but in my own time frame… The goal can be achieved is a way that works for me if I understand how I work.
So these were the other assignments: Recognize your Type, Choose a 1-Word Theme & Create Your Personal Commandments. These will help you to identify your personality, your tendency to react to expectations, your values and what you want most of all this year… in one word!
I am very excited by quizzes & all types of personality tests, so when Rubin developed her Four Tendencies, I was in… I know that my tendency is that of a QUESTIONER– who often resists outer expectations (unless they make sense to me), but meets inner expectations. If I see it as important, it gets done. You can take the quiz yourself here, and read a book all about the types! It is an interesting and useful read to understand yourself and how to deal with others better.
The one-word theme took awhile, despite having chosen them before. My previous words were: Thrive, Vitality & Grow. Other examples are: Green, Clear, Renaissance, Present… As I get older, study more yoga philosophy and realize that life doesn’t go on forever, I keep returning to INTENTIONS and what mine are… in a given day, with my words & actions… so, I have chosen the word SANKALPA the term used in yoga for a personal sense of resolve and intention- beyond just a goal, but a hearts deep desire.
Finally, My Personal Commandments…. Gretchen shared hers, which was greatly helpful, as the concept of Commandments hold a lot of weight. Here’s what I chose for myself…
Be Michele
Act the way I want to feel
Think before talking
Be prepared
Do what SHOULD be done
Be polite and fair
Take 1 step at a time
Act with Love
Think of Future You
Don’t hold back
Use the stuff
Enjoy the view
So, I completed those assignments, and also chose a symbol for the year – a have images of it posted in my spaces and got a necklace of it, as another reminder of how I want to go forward in the year.
It is a YANTRA (A yantra is a sacred geometry symbol developed from ancient wisdom that represents the divine energy of the universe) again reminding myself of how I want to align my life.
I chose the Kali Yantra,
