Lately, I have been ungrounded and lacking clarity in almost every area of my life. Maybe it was the latest full moon or because we’re stuck in the awkward limbo between seasons. It also might be that I’m turning 25 this summer and I’m due for my quarter-life crisis, or that I haven’t had my vision and goals top-of-mind these past few months. Most likely, it’s a mix of all the above.
Some days, I know exactly what I want—others, not so much. For me, it’s all too easy to go with the “out of sight, out of mind” adage when I’m not holding myself accountable to the vision I have so lovingly crafted – and continue to grow and nurture – for my life. In this space, I say yes to things I’d truly like to say no to. I procrastinate. I take short cuts and the easy route whenever possible. I complain and I compare. I take a passive stance on my life when I should be in the driver’s seat.
Through years of vision and goals work at lululemon and coaching sessions with Jacki Carr and Mary Beth LaRue (co-founders of Rock Your Bliss), I’ve picked up a clarity ritual to help me when I’m feeling lost, confused, un-grounded, unsure…you get the point.
I flip to a brand-spankin’-new page in my journal, grab my go-to purple PaperMate FLAIR pen, and I write down my soul values at the top: passion, creativity, curiosity, connection, and nature. These values are my compass, if you will, that will keep me heading toward my true north—always.
Then, I draw a big circle in the middle of the page. On the outside of the circle, I write all the things I don’t want in my life at that exact moment—i.e. hustling, busyness, saying yes to things I should say no to, etc.
Next, it’s time for the fun stuff. On the inside of the circle, I cultivate a thoughtful, loving list of things that I want to fill my life with—the HELL yes’s, like spending time unplugged outdoors, keeping up a daily yoga practice, and exploring way more.
Once I’m finished, I take a few minutes to reread my sparkly, fresh roadmap and let it all marinate. And just like that, BAM, clarity and grounding. It’s really that simple.
And the best apart about this ritual is that it is as fluid as I allow it to be. As I evolve, it will evolve with me as I, my circumstances, and my wants and needs change. Every time I feel like there’s a shift happening in my life, I carve out time for this exercise. Heck, when I want to create change I do it. Rather than letting it feel rigid and like I have to stick to whatever I’ve jotted down on paper, I look at is an exciting opportunity to create and live in possibility. Knowing exactly what I want and what I don’t want in my life allows me to stay focused, be creative, passionate, and authentic in all areas of my life, and to live my life on purpose.
I’d love to know – what are your soul values? And if you’ve taken the time to do this exercise, what the things you don’t want in your life right now and the things that you want to say hell yes to?
Original post found the Tiny Devotions blog.