Previous posts in the series can all be found here. Follow along on Instagram @fjcoaching for regular nudges.
The story so far…
- The reflection piece from October isn’t a one-off. Reflect on the last 7 days: what has gone well? And what did not go the way you would have liked? What will you do about that? How will you do it differently next time?
- Gratitude practice similarly continues – I’ve written every couple of days, each time listing around 5 things that are going well or I’m grateful for, from a great coffee to a new business opportunity. Is it helping? Don’t know, but let's trust the process and keep it up. A little dose of positivity can’t be doing any harm
- Movement is a great theme, and as predicted it’s a real test as the weather becomes increasingly autumnal in this little corner of the world. I’ve often – not always - managed 10,000 steps a day, and I’ve joined a couple of classes by zoom.
Some new observations:
- Timing is everything. If there’s a glimpse of bright sunshine, or if you have a brief window between other tasks, grab it! ‘Later’ is much more challenging, and so often doesn’t materialise at all
- Add purpose if that helps. Walk further – to that particular shop or to post that letter. Aside: write a letter or card to someone for no reason – I guarantee they will love it.
- Dance around the kitchen if getting outside is really not an option. I recommend a Motown mix on whichever is your favourite music streaming service ;)
How is it going for you? Have you committed to the MOVE theme? If not, what got in your way? Today is a good day to start.
One new action:
At the beginning of November I talked about the notion of moving your mind along with your body – through learning or listening to something new. [I’m definitely following my own advice here and have enrolled in two new courses this month!] This is easy and can be free of charge. Learn something new simply for the experience, not necessarily because it’s a career direction or a skill you actually need. Notice that the experience of learning and thinking is a really positive one, in and of itself. If you like to see a physical result or outcome, make it a practical thing: follow a recipe, learn to draw, ‘Kondo’ your sock drawer. I had a great time last weekend making jam tarts, of all things. So simple, everyone loves them, and I followed three different methods with two different fillings, just to see what would happen!
And finally…
Wuthering Heights. Remember I was half way through the audio book at the beginning of the month? Just keeping it real here – I hated it! The writing may be beautiful and evocative, but the CHARACTERS! All wholly unlikeable. Received wisdom (and a stage version last year) had me expecting Heathcliff to be romantic and brooding, not abusive and cruel. If I don’t care for the characters its very hard to stay tuned (for 34 chapters!) to find out how badly they all treat each other. Fingers crossed for a better experience with Silas Marner on BBC Sounds…