Happy November!

I can't believe it is already November!  October seemed to have flown by.  This month is incredibly busy for me.  It will include:  Writing four papers, putting together and giving a presentation, a Spanish language proficiency exam for my master's degree, my yearly performance evaluation at work, attending a few events and spending Thanksgiving in Maine with Jesse and his family.

My goals for this month include:

-Find time for me.  I want to get back to a regular yoga and gym routine, read at least a few things for fun, continue journaling and get enough sleep.

-Finish as much of the list above as possible before I leave for Maine.  I want to spend my time with Jesse and his family in as stress-free a manner as possible.

-Get as much accomplished at work as possible.

-Begin thinking about how I want to spend my winter break (no work or school from December 11 through January 4th!).

{Photo credit: lordog}

Weekly intention: Focus

My intention for this week is to commit to keeping my focus.

At any given moment, there are multiple things vying for my time and attention.  There are my responsibilities at work, my commitments for school, my friends and family, assorted errands, etc.  I occasionally let it get to the point where I feel like I am drowning.

I find that while I know I can accomplish more by focusing on one thing at a time, I tend to try to either do more than one thing at once or I do one thing while worrying/thinking about/contemplating at least five others.  Not very productive.

Since there are so many things I need to do this week, I am making a commitment to focus on one at a time until I work my way through them all.  Every time I feel overwhelmed, I will consciously come back to this commitment and remind myself that focusing is the only way to wade through it.

What is your intention for this week and how can you work to make it come alive?

{Photo credit: ihtatho}

Overcoming the Post-Vacation Blues

I have been feeling pretty low post-vacation. I feel both overwhelmed and like I need a new direction.

Vacation taught me: that saying no to things is okay, to focus on making a life before making a living, that relaxation is vital for my survival, sometimes doing nothing is exactly what I need and that being in the present moment is the only thing that really matters. I also think I learned that the hunches I had that I am not on the right path for me are correct. Ha...that's a lot for one vacation, right?

Yesterday I came across the "Five Steps for Setting Happiness Resolutions" by Positively Present and the day before that The Bliss Chick posted about the results of staying true to one's passions. Both of these posts could not have come at a better time.

Action steps I can take to refocus, recommit and reconnect right now and in the coming months:

-Say no to things that I don't want to do, I just cannot do or are not realistic at this time.
-Pare down the list of my obligations.
-Create a schedule that is workable and that includes down time.
-Lose the guilt over not doing things that others want me to do.
-Take time to connect to like-minded souls.
-Refuse to let obligations impede on a decent night's sleep.
-Eat well, exercise more and build up my yoga practice.
-Journal. A lot. Get quiet more often so I can hear what I really want.
-Focus on the here and now and not the here and 1, 3, 5 and 10 years from now.

{Photo credit: James Photography Freak}