At the beginning of 2019, I sat down and took an honest look at the mindsets that didn’t serve me in 2018: the focus on more, more, more, instead of recognizing how to find more in less.
Part of this reframing was to focus on more goals, fewer ultimatums, and the way I am approaching this in 2019 is to set realistic 30-day challenges. I focus on eliminating one thing from my life for 30 days and adding one new things for the same time period to see where it takes me.
In January, I cut out all alcohol with a nod to #dryJanuary. I added in daily pelvic floor exercises. I’ll give you the round-up on how these initiatives went later this week, but since it’s February 1, I wanted to pause and figure out where to go for the next 30 days (or incidentally, 28 since it’s the shortest month.)
February is a month focused on love, with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, so I’m building off this theme for my goals this month. Self-love and strength are in for February. Here’s how:
What I’m Eliminating: Negative Self-Talk
Every time I feel myself discouraged about a goal or a situation, I can trace it back directly to a relentless spiral of negative self-talk in my head.
Negative self-talk becomes a habit that feeds on itself. I want to focus on breaking the habit and replacing negative self-talk with positive affirmations.
Of course, it’s easier said than done to stop the negative self-talk — if it was just a switch to flip, I’d flip it and be happier and healthier in a heartbeat.
Instead, it’s a skill that needs to be practiced. And February is my month to do just that.
Goal: Every night before bed, identify at least 2 negative beliefs that impacted my day. WRITE THEM DOWN. Then replace each belief with 2 positive affirmations to counteract the negative belief. That means you are writing a minimum of FOUR positive affirmations every night before you go to bed. When you wake up the next morning, review your 4 positive affirmations to start your day with self-love in your heart.
It’s true that I won’t be eliminating negative self-talk for a month. That would be an impossible feat. But recognizing the beliefs and counteracting them is the first step toward a more positive mindset. And as I discussed last week, small steps add up to big results.
And with that mantra in mind …
What I’m Adding: Yoga Every Damn Day
I set this goal last year, one that I’ve been afraid to say out loud because it seems so unachievable: I want to be able to do a yoga handstand.
It’s not just for aesthetics or the fun of being upside down. For me, a yoga handstand represents the ultimate in body strength and control. You need a powerhouse core, shoulders, arms … Every muscle in your body works together to achieve that handstand.
I’m a long way away from this goal yet, and it’s certainly not going to be accomplished by February 28. But I want to lay the foundation this month with #yogaeverydamnday to continue to build the strength I need to meet that goal before the end of 2019.
Goal: Just that — do yoga in some form or fashion every single day. What that looks like will vary. Sometimes it means a full hour-long class at the studio. And sometimes it means 10 minutes before bed practicing the poses to build the strength needed.
In addition to building strength, yoga every day reminds me to focus on my breath and find balance on my mat. It encourages self-love and acceptance.
With these February goals together, I should be a glowing, strong, brilliant ray of sunshine by the end of the month, right? I kid. That’s definitely overstating it. But I do hope to be a more balanced, positive version of myself after 28 days focused on self-love.
Try it with me! What’s one thing you can give up, or one new thing to try? Share your progress with #NeverDoneWithFun and follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more daily ideas and inspiration for #momlife. Na-mom-ste. 💜
