As I take a very thorough amount of time going through my notes, lists, writings and thinking about my whole experience, 10 things rise to the top of my biggest takeaways.
- Consider how to and take time to plan and create even more space in my schedule. Just plain space and the space for beauty, joy, rest, excitement, contentment into each week. Intentionally, not by hoping it will happen. I am coming away determined to up level my use of time- not in productivity, but in experience.
- When blocking off space in my schedule, have a use assigned to it, even if it is sit still and just think. Even if it is watch this show on tv. Even if it is call a friend. Assigning something to the time will help me to feel that I did not waste my precious day. I planned to sit and just be and I did it, for instance. If I don’t have a plan in the moment to just sit and be, I will be on my phone, or doing any number of things that are not priorities in the moment.
- Be okay with doing “nothing!” I love the saying, “doing nothing IS doing something.” We all need restoration space. People tell me all of the time “I don’t enjoy sitting still”- and the reason for that is that you haven’t learned to. I found it very challenging at first. Everyone can do it and it is a healthy choice. It helps you to be at your best when you are “on.” Being able to sit still is a real strength- practice it- it is good for you!
- The phone. Minimizing time on the phone becomes even more challenging when you create space you aren’t used to. (It makes #2 above even more important.) I worked on my awareness and doubling down on my parameters. A new insight occurred to me- I suffer from the one thing leads to another syndrome. Someone texts me- I text back and voila- next thing I know I am checking my emails, or some other app. I don’t realize it until I am in it! One thing I love to do is look things up- curiosity, information, etc- I find myself after finding what I needed then doing something else on my phone- often! So my latest idea that came out of this space is to write down anything I feel the impulse to look up. I am keeping a list and assigning a “look up” time so it is in a planned, non disruptive fashion!
- Having the space and time to make insightful lists was very enlightening for me. Here are some of the lists I focused on: What’s important to me list. What I like list. What doesn’t work for me list. Reading list. Things I might do differently in my business list. My values list. Ideas that intrigue me list. Places I want to visit list. What I like about my business list. Possible changes to make lists in all areas of life and to my schedule. My resources in each area of life. Best thoughts from the International Maxwell Conference list.
- From one of the books I read in August- Ordinary Time by Annie B. Jones- “Be thrilled with staying put, having a routine and enjoying my footprint.”
- A great question to ask myself on a regular basis: “What questions are seeking answering?” This question came from the book Think Week Agenda by Wulfson and Sampanthar. We got this book at the Reinvention Summit and it is not yet available to world, but I will let your know when it is!
- I took time to make (another) list of all of my real and perceived challenges. There is something about writing things out (handwritten) that helps to put things into perspective. This process helped me to feel much more grounded and calm- a good place to be when approaching challenges!
- I thought about and wrote possible solutions to each challenge. No commitment. Just letting my mind do some healthy possibility thinking! No pressure. It was expansive.
- Confirming to myself, once again, that spending time alone is so good for me. And I can measurably see that I am getting better at it! For four days I only spoke to anyone at meal times- usually just to order my food. I spent a lot of time walking, then sitting, then writing and reading and list making. I meditated. Walked some more. Sat still. Solitude was once very difficult for me, and now I love and look forward to it. I plan for some each week now. It is such a powerful reset. The end of the month brought a flight and conference with 3000+ others. Having the time alone refilled me in a way I could bring my best to that opposite kind of experience!