January 9, 2018
Bruce talked about sankalpa in yoga class. It was the first Saturday of 2018. He said something like, “This is a time of year when we make resolutions that are hard to achieve, because they’re surface desires.” A sankalpa is a solemn vow, a heartfelt promise. Sankalpas dive beneath the surface.
Then, before our practice, he suggested we set an intention on awareness, non-judgment, or discernment.
The idea being, I believe, that if we are seeking to keep a heartfelt vow to ourselves, we must become aware of what we are doing and what choices we are making from moment to moment. Then, if we approach the thoughts and choices we have with non-judgment, we can respond with discernment. When we respond with discernment, we take actions that are in alignment with the solemn vow we’ve made with ourselves.
While all are relevant to keeping a vow, when an intention is set for practice it tends to be one and only one; not multiple. One focus keeps it simple and strong.
My biggest hurdles to achieving goals are: my tendency to question them and focus. Am I going after the right things? Am I trying to do too much? Do I have the time? This afternoon, a solution to my constant self-interrogation hit me: scheduling. I need to be aware of my time and responsible for it.
If I write down everything that I think I want to do and then schedule those items, I believe I’ll have a greater level of awareness about what I both can and want to achieve.
So just what do I want?
During the first week of this year, I spent a lot of time thinking, reflecting, and scheduling. It’s often said that if something isn’t scheduled it doesn’t get done.
- I want to create good, home-cooked meals that meet the nutritional goals I have for me and those I love.
- I want to feel amazing about the exercise I am getting. This means:
- Ballet Fit 3 times per week.
- Yoga at least once per week.
- SpartaChris 3 times per week.
- Cardio 3 times per week.
- I want to enjoy a well-decorated home. Lucky for me, I know a couple of great places to shop for home goods like Dwell Local and Real Deals on Home Decor.
- I want to blog 3 times per week and send a newsletter out each Tuesday.
- I want to help women by sharing products, ideas, and plans that I believe in with them and by coaching them to run their own successful businesses.
- I want to contribute $6,750 per month to our household income.
After all of that I feel a bit like Veruca Salt…
My sankalpa for 2018 is to honor my time by scheduling what matters most first. As I fill out my calendar, I’m noticing that exercise, writing, and cooking good food for loved ones seem to dominate it.
9 days into 2018, I’ve come to realize one other sankalpa that just might make all of the difference in the world, overcoming a sense of discouragement (the scale has been moving in the wrong direction) with patience and faith in the process.
