A bleeding-heart vine

I hope you are well. Maybe you are flourishing or barely hanging on; life is not plain sailing. Ever! I'll be honest with you September has had its fair share of ups and downs, and I am not starting October with a spring in my step. Still, I have set up my diary/journal and my intentions. Each month offers a blank(ish) page and I choose to embrace it. Do you take the time to plan each month?

I've never found a diary that suited me so I use my phone for appointments and a unique diary/journal that I create by hand in a large Moleskine Cahier (a bit larger than A5 format but smaller than A4) every month. It consists in drawing lines and writing headings for five double-page layouts and then pencilling in events and appointments. Each weekly layout is then ready to be used daily with MITs, wins, lessons, questions and gratitude. It isn't like Bullet Journalling; it doesn't have any embellishment; it is done entirely with a good old fashion lead pencil, but it is a very precious document. I am happy to have realised that creating a personalised diary was the only way to accommodate my needs and personality.

The essential step in planning a month for me is to set a couple of intentions. There are my North Stars for the month. If you only do one thing then this is it: set one to three intentions or priorities. What are your top priorities for this month? 

Why do I set only two priorities, you might ask? Well, to be perfectly honest, I can't focus on more than that. Sure, I might have specific objectives in different areas of my life, but at the end of the day, I want to keep these two priorities at the forefront of my mind. Extreme self-care seems to be a permanent fixture. If I don't make it a priority, I might get swallowed up by life and its dramas. I don't define what it looks like as every day calls for different expressions of self-care. Often it's about creating boundaries so that I protect my mental and physical health. I listen to what I need at the moment. Self-care can include taking care of my house and plants, I realised. If they are not in good shape, I can't be either. This week, part of my self-care meant allowing as little space as possible for negative thoughts by listening to a captivating audiobook every time I could (Robert Galbraith's The Ink Black Heart — I'm a big fan — NB: only read if you have read all previous Strike novels). 

The second intention I choose is a project that gets me excited or will be rewarding at some point. It could be in any area of my life; it just needs to be significant to me.

I don't share my intentions with anyone. That way, I don't have to explain anything if I get derailed and I can pick things up when possible. I don't need other people's opinions and judgements, thank you very much.

When planning your month, consider your needs and find ways to:

• love yourself
• connect with others
• grow
• give back
• express your creativity
• be healthy
• have fun (Why do we often forget to plan for fun?)
• nourish your soul

With time, I have learned to pare down my to-dos. The fewer I set myself, the more likely they are to happen. 

A helpful exercise to do when you plan is to take your journal and write about something that is bothering you, one thing that has been nagging you. Is there something you can do this month to improve the situation or maybe solve the issue? Schedule one small step you can take this week.

I hope you set a couple of intentions for this month and write them down on a card or Post-It note that you will see regularly. Extreme self-care might be a good place to start. 

Valerie 

http://valeriemarsh.com