Chiseling a mortise under the overhead light.

My partner and I have been learning timber framing from a master eco-builder the past four days. When we arrived the cold and rainy morning of the second workshop day, we found him setting up a ladder, preparing to hang temporary lights inside the partially built structure we were using as our wood shop. We had  a lot of work to get to and we were already a little behind schedule but instead of doing our daily morning check-in or beginning to saw the timber, he had decided to hang the lights he had purchased just before arriving. He said it was so cloudy and rainy that he knew the lighting in the building would be poor and so by taking the time now to set up the overhead lights, he was setting us up for success.

It’s small gestures like these that can make a huge impact on the rest of a day, a month, or even a lifetime. Taking the time to make adjustments that will better allow you to be productive, confident, efficient, balanced, healthy and present means that even when circumstances aren’t lining up quite as you’d like you are remaining solution-oriented.

In preparing for the long days of the workshop, knowing we would have to respond to phone calls and emails in the evenings, my partner and I decided to make a big tray of shepherd’s pie so that several  dinners would be waiting for us in the fridge. We also prepared greens for salad and made polenta for a snack or breakfast option. This allowed us to be present for the workshop as much as possible, correspond with our clients in the evening and still keep ourselves well nourished. Looking back I see that we were setting ourselves up for success, even before we had heard our mentor’s words of wisdom.

It got me thinking about other steps that could be taken to set the stage for success?  Join the new exercise class I’ve been considering? Go to bed earlier? Setup automatic deposits to a savings account? What are you working to be successful in? Whatever it is that you’re dreaming of achieving, watch how much better things align for your benefit when you take small measures that prepare you to thrive.

Take a brisk walk in nature while contemplating what next step you can take.

A full two months has passed since my last blog post and I want to apologize for the hiatus. A lot of wonderful opportunities have come into my life over the past two months, one of which brought me to travel unexpectedly and others of which have caused me to reprioritize. Each of these opportunities were eagerly welcomed though, since they were all invited into my life by me earlier this year in my goal and intention setting.

Speaking of which, I wanted to reinvigorate each of you to connect to your original goals and intentions set forth for 2010 and to evaluate any breakthroughs or obstacles you’ve already experienced. What better day to embark on this than March 4th. Why March 4th you might ask? Well, one of my favorite days happens to be March 4th because within its very title it has the essence of powerful, deliberate action…get it?…March Forth!

March Forth has been one of my favorite little celebrations for several years now. I don’t recall where I first put “two and two together” but for a while now I’ve been using it as a perfect time to reconnect with the goals I set for myself two months prior on New Year’s, to beckon the energy of Spring closer (now only about two weeks away) and to ramp up my motivation, ambition and initiative. I remember leading a yoga class a couple of years ago on March fourth in which I instructed powerful poses like Warrior II and III as ways to embody the March Forth energy.

Whether doing strengthening yoga poses, courageously confronting an issue, or expectantly visualizing the change you desire, I encourage all of you to enjoy the energy of March 4th and to March Forth confidently in the direction of your dreams!

In Balance,
Jenica

Happy New Year! What new experiences do you want to have in 2010?

Today is not only the start of a new year but also a new decade and one that fell on a full blue moon eclipse, so it seems like a particularly powerful and auspicious time to think about the life you want to create in the next one to 10 years.  One of the best ways to do this is by listing your goals – the one’s closest to your heart so I’ve provided some tips to help you do just that:

Goals work best when they are SMART.

SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. You won’t be able to chart your achievement if your goal is too vague, too big for you to believe is possible, or has no timeline attached to it. For more information on setting SMART goals visit the online goal setting guide.

Goals can be more tangible when they are made visible.

Many people are visual learners and it is known that the most predominant sense used by humans is the sense of sight. It follows that when setting goals it can help to provide a visual representation of what you are hoping to accomplish. One very effective way is by creating a vision board, whereby you take cuttings from magazines, postcards, and other visual print, that correspond with specific goals you have (like a picture of a light airy kitchen that looks like the one you want to create in your renovation, or a picture of a person painting if you hope to take up the art). Visit selfgrowth.com for more information.

Goals and affirmations work hand in hand.

Affirmations are proven to assist in bringing about change when used consistently and with conviction. As you create your list of goals consider creating corresponding affirmations that you can say to yourself to help you move towards them as the year progresses. Or try creating a more general affirmation that can encompass several goals into one. In the case of the person with the vision board above they might say “I appreciate and love myself, my surrounding environment and my loved ones. I let my creativity shine. I love my life.” Whatever you decide on, repeat it to yourself daily at a prescribed time and anytime anxieties and doubts overshadow your belief momentarily.

Wishing you a healthy, joyous and prosperous 2010!

Jenica

Sometimes a practice can benefit from instruction or collaboration.

A practice is generally referred to as “habit or custom” as well as “a repeated performance or systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring skill or proficiency.” While a practice can be a craft, skill, trade or profession it can also be considered a meditation, a discipline, or a commitment. In all cases, it involves continuous time and energy, as well as focus and patience which, with all the distractions of modern life, it seems that nearly everybody could benefit from. For these reasons I believe that “having a practice” of any variety, is a worthwhile pursuit for anyone.

Practicing something, whether it’s gardening or guitar, enables an individual to exercise not only their focus and patience but also their need for self-acceptance. Perhaps most important of all, it provides people with powerful evidence of progress which can lead to stronger self-worth. At the same time having a practice can take people within for solitary reflection and at other times can benefit greatly from collaboration with others. I’ve seen this in a recent recommitment I’ve made to yoga; one of the key practices in my life.

As a registered yoga teacher I’ve received many hours of yoga training and have provided yoga instruction for individuals ranging in age from 18 to 90. So recently when I joined the local YMCA in order to attend yoga classes, rather than teach them, I pondered why I was seeking instruction for something I already knew how to do. As I thought about it I discovered that I wanted yoga to be even more of a habit in my life than it currently was, which attending frequent classes would accomplish, but I also had the goal of acquiring a greater proficiency, which I hoped would come from quality instruction by other teachers.

In only two weeks, I have seen my yoga practice evolve to the next level, simply by joining my energies with those of others engaged in the practice, as well as being open to learning alternative styles and techniques from my instructors. For me personally, I realized that what my practice needed most at this time was the incorporation of the collaborative experience. At other times in my life, I’ve found the greatest rewards in personal practices in which I was my own best teacher.

Whatever the case for you at this juncture, I encourage you to practice, practice, practice.

In balance,
Jenica

Watch for patterns to emerge as you look back at jobs you've held.

While it’s risky to step out and attempt a new career, or pursue a hobby as a source of money, it’s equally if not more dicey, to expect security from an employer.  In addition, the ability to use your unique skills and follow your true interests typically challenges and satisfies so much more than following directives, especially one’s you don’t believe in. The key is determining which of your many interests and talents to pursue.

One technique I’ve found helpful is to write down all the jobs you’ve ever held and look for a motif to emerge.  Next, jot down roles or duties you may not have initially been hired for, but you ended up doing once your employer knew your strengths.  Look for patterns both in the job position as well as those extra tasks you were given.

Once you’ve begun to see one or two key strengths that you’ve put to use before and you’d like to use again, begin to think about creating a new

role for yourself in which you offer these skills to your community and/or the world. Be inventive, be authentic and be aware that you may create a brand new role (service), or perhaps you’ll be led to a traditional role that is new in the sense that you’ve never attempted it.  Either way, you’ll have a jumping off point from which to research possibilities.

Even if you’re feeling fulfilled in your work it can be helpful to connect with skills and talents you’ve always had (but never fully pursued), because they may make good sources for alternate streams of income or perhaps they could lead you to create a product which could lead to passive income. It seems that everyone could use a bit of that! Another added benefit could be a more balanced life, particularly if your career requires that you work mostly on the computer, and your side interest might take you out of the office and engaging in the world more physically or socially.

Doing what you love is an important factor in living a healthy, balanced and joyful life on an individual level but I also see it as a vital element in contributing to the healing of our world.  Entrepreneurs and small businesses often have an important function in building community, something I feel will be of increasing significance in times to come.  As big business folds more and more and we are able to reclaim our ecology, small town economies, and political system, self-employment – whether part or full-time  – will be an instrumental piece in building a new, more balanced, sustainable and equitable world.

In balance,

Jenica