So, I’m an ambitious person. Or maybe I’m not. One of the things that makes my brain hurt is trying to figure out how I fall on all of the spectrums. But I’ve got goals. And I’ve got project goals. And they are wide ranging. And some of them are vast. And many of them are things I want to do consistently for the rest of my life. Some of them are nuts and bolts. Some of them are esoteric. All of them are pointing me in the direction of the person I desire to be. Which isn’t as intense as it sounds. A lot of it is just about joy and grace, and time to rest and time to play. With a sprinkling of adulting and health-ing and creating thrown in for good measure.
But it’s hard for me. Hard to stay consistent. Hard find a schedule that I can bloom inside. Hard to maintain order. Hard to maintain discipline. Hard to not over consume any number of things in favor of doing LIFE. Hard to even REMEMBER all the things I want to be doing with my time, when I find I have some.
I have been searching for solutions for a long time. One of my gigundous goal projects is to go through all my diaries, save anything worth saving and burn the rest. And in my 8th grade journal, I discovered the first routine that I gave myself, my first attempt at a healthful daily practice. And oh, the Excel spreadsheets I have worked trying to figure out how to achieve my goals. And oh, the systems and the journals and the planners I have looked at. And oh, the techniques I have “learned” at the seminars I have taken. All of them, good ideas. And if they work for you, then goddess bless you. But my brain? My personality? Nope. For one thing, I need to be able to SEE what I am working on. I cannot tuck my paperwork into a binder tucked onto a shelf on my office desk. It needs to sit in a tidy pile on my coffee table. Front of mind. I need things front of mind.
But I think I’ve figured it out. I’m calling it “How to Make the Moon and the Sun Your Accountability Partners.” And it’s kind of brilliant, I believe. At least for me. Every month there is a full moon, and I think about what I want to release. Every month there is a new moon, and I think about what I want to fill that space with instead. And I write about it. Every 2 moons is a month, and that month is revisited and mulled over and then the month to come is contemplated. And the Sun, which is to say the seasons. I set goals for those seasons, and I feel into those goals and make sure they fit. And those seasons flow together into a year. And that year becomes cohesive because of that. And accomplished seasonal goals create possibility for the next set of goals. And slowly, rung by rung, I get where I want to be. My house is peaceful. My bank account supports me. I engage in the activities that bring me joy. My friendships are more robust. My company evolves. My art and intellectual works proceed. My spirituality deepens. It is easier to build a ladder than to sprout wings.
Oh! And there are celebrations. Good meals, day trips, sometimes even mini vacations. The turning of the year is something worth making a big deal out of.
Do I do this perfectly? No. Of course not. Will I ever? Can’t imagine it. But that’s part of the brilliance too. Every 14 days the moon resets. Every 28, the month. Every 3 months, the season. Plus three months is actually a long time. Even when I lose my rhythm, I find there is usually enough time to find it again, to engage again, if only to better set myself up for a successful next season.
We are now on the cusp of SPRING! Crocus and daffodils are up. Tulips are not far behind. The ephemerals are budding out. What a glorious time of year. I’ve gotten a titch ambitious in my goal list. But I’m feeling powerful after a successful Winter. I had a good Winter. A really good Winter. Good enough that Spring sounds delightful instead of tiring. And that is exciting.
May you plant seeds and nurture them, trusting them to grow into whatever it is they should grow into. Just do the next right thing and let life take care of life.
Peace and good things,
Eliza.