This year has been a hard-working year for me.
It’s been a year of really evaluating which efforts are yielding juice and which ones I can toss into the wind, lightening my load.
I’m a huge juicing enthusiast as you probably know. I have a video demonstrating and comparing juicing vs. blending and I provide juicing info and recipes as part of many of my wellness programs. I have an entire page devoted to juicing.
But I have a confession….
There have been many times during this busy year, though, when I’ve realized going to the juice bar at Whole Foods and paying $6 for a Green Machine juice is better for me than all the effort required to shop, wash, prep, juice, and clean up for 8 ounces worth of green juice at home.
The evolution of my career has take a similar turn.
In 2012 I sold my counseling center and closed my yoga studio. I needed to shift directions and focus on the work that energizes me and let go of what was draining me. With a staff of up to 16 under me at one time, I was spending too much time and energy managing and there just wasn’t enough juice to show for all that work.
I’ve had two years of solo practice which has allowed me time to reflect further on where I want to squeeze and where I want to let go.
This year I decided to go for a dream and launch an online holistic wellness business and open a brick-n-mortar wellness center. I am feeling juicer in my life than ever serving the needs of women over 40!
But I must say…using mindfulness while going for a dream is key to determining along the way when the juice is worth the squeeze.
This is what I’ve learned this year I would like to share with you:
- Don’t be distracted by every new shiny online program. Just like a packaged item at the grocery store, I learned to not assume the fancy box and label means there is quality on the inside. It’s a good idea to do your research, talk to people who have done the program. Find out if the program will deliver what it appears to promise before you plunk down a hunk of money. (In case you’re wondering, my 12 week program is PACKED with valuable content! Check it out!)
- Self care comes first. Yes, I’d like to save the world. But I have to ensure I am taking care of myself before I can take care of others.
- I must be my own client. Along with the concept of self-care I have learned to schedule time for me and my needs on my calendar and attend to those needs with the same energy I give to my clients.
- Don’t believe everything you hear/read. Sadly, there are those out there who are just waiting for the vulnerable, uninformed suckers to fall hook, line and sinker for fear-based propaganda.
- Trust your gut. Intuition is something we all have. We need to practice listening for that whispering intuitive voice inside and trus it. It will never mislead.
- Extend love in everything you do and say. Even when someone is doing you wrong and you have to set boundaries and address issues, you can silently send that person love and wish for the highest good to come for all involved. It’s the right thing to do.
- Step away from the screens. Online work can be like a black hole. A time suck. Set a timer and promise yourself you’ll stop working and go for a walk or do some yoga or call a friend and actually have a voice-to-voice conversation.
- Save yourself from drowning in the sea of emails. I love email. It’s the greatest thing to come along in terms of communication in business. But the other side to that coin is that email can be overwhelming, distracting and addictive. Unsubscribe from all those newsletters you never read and only check email 2 times each day. One brilliant business strategy coach I worked with recently (Michelle Y. Grewal) advised me to draft my outgoing emails in Word and then paste into email so that I wouldn’t be distracted by all the influx in my inbox.
- Learn to meditate and dedicate time to practice daily. In the hustle and bustle of developing my new online business and opening my new center, I drifted away from my meditation practice of 21 years. And boy, have I missed it. I have learned how incredibly important coming to the cushion and observing this practice is every day.
- Take time to cherish family and friends. The rush and push to meet deadlines, crank out content and connect with clients can all too easily interfere with ability to have a personal life. I’ve learned to be sure I am scheduling time with my kids, husband and other loved ones and when I’m with them, in person or on the phone, I am sure to be fully present and attentive.
- Savor the juice. It’s all too easy to get caught up in the rush to get on to the next project that we can lose sight of the delicious juice we’ve produced so far. Take time to slow down, sip on the juice of all your labor and enjoy.
Mindfully yours,
Lynn
