When so many of us feel like the sands are shifting constantly, the need to be grounded, positive, stay available and grateful is more important than ever. I have developed this tool I like to use that I find very helpful to do reviews annually, quarterly and/or even monthly.

I think of it as a beautiful creative and reflective ritual so I would love you to try it.

​

 

I call it my Reflect & Project Ritual

A tool to keep you Centered, Consistent, Creative and Committed to living at Your CORE.

 

So what is it about? In this exercise you will:

• Learn and practice breathing exercises to get into a mindful state that you can always come back to again and again.

• Reflect on and record the last 1, 2 3, or 12 month's accomplishments, moments of pride and joy.

• Recognize and record some things, experiences and people you are grateful for, and reach out to them now to let them know.

• Through 'journaling prompt questions' you will craft out a statement on who you will BE, what you will Do during the coming year and what life you will HAVE at the end of the year.

• Create a beautiful Inspirational one pager for you to pin up somewhere to keep you moving in 2021

• Create your personal 5 word motivational Mantra for your daily proclamation (Affirmation)

• Develop an easy personal ritual you can revisit any time you need a little lift and redirection or affirmation.

Try it and see what comes up for you....

 

So let's do this! First, choose a period or circumstance you wish to reflect on and review.

​

1️⃣ Day 1: Before going to bed, get an A4 notebook or a few sheets of printer paper and a nice pen by your bed. 

• Set aside 12 minutes, (use a timer); 

• Sit comfortably and take 8 slow deep breaths (in for 6 counts, hold for 2 counts and slowly out 8 counts), releasing any tension and feeling your whole body warm and relaxed.

• Focusing yourself on you and now, reflect...

• Then without even thinking too much, start hand-writing all your accomplishments and things that made you proud and smile in your chosen period or situation. Just bullet points as you have to just pour it all out intuitively, you don't have much time.

• Go to bed and read this back to yourself slowly 5 times, fall asleep with them.

 

2️⃣ Day 2 : When you wake up in the morning, stay in bed, set your timer again for 12 minutes.

• Read yesterday's list again then close your eyes, relax your body and again do your 8  breaths (6-2-8 cycle).
  Feeling how your body responds to the breath and what you read.

• Get up gently after your 8 breaths then get a new sheet of paper and using the time left, quickly reflect and write down 12 things, 12 experiences/lessons and 12 people you are grateful for in 2020.

• When done reread this new list and really say thank you in a prayer or short meditation. 

• You may even want to write your prayer of gratitude down or record it into your phone, you will be blessed to revisit it often.

• Over the next 4 days, make a point to reach out and tell those 12 people and let them know how much you appreciate them or are grateful for how they may have  supported you in 2020.

 

3️⃣ Day 2 at bedtime : Sit comfortably and get into your mindful space. Set your timer for 15 minutes, pages & pen available.

• Do the 8 slow breaths again (6-2-8 cycle). Then quickly hand-write, intuitively answers to these questions:
   

1. If money, time and circumstance were not an issue, who would I BE/show up as in 2021?

2. If money, time and circumstance were not an issue, what will I DO in 2021?

3. If money, time and circumstance were not an issue, what life will I HAVE by the end of 2021.

 

• Fall asleep reading your answers aloud 3 times to yourself.

 

4️⃣ Day 3: In the morning, stay lying in bed, settle yourself, do 5 deep slow breaths (6-2-8 cycles). 

• Still lying there, read all three pages of notes aloud to yourself 3 times each (please do them in order and then over again and again, you will hear your story unfolding).

• Hold these pages to your abdomen, 1 hand on your heart and one hand on your solar plexus/navel area

• Do 8 NEW breath cycles like this: Do 2 swift deep percussive inhales, hold the breath connecting to your core for 4 counts and slowly exhale for 6 to 8 counts feeling a sense of lightness and surrender. (you may need to build up to 8 counts).

• At the end of the 8 cycles,  do 3 cycles of slow breaths then slowly sit up, 

• Time yourself for 90 seconds and onto a new sheet of paper just write out value, action, and/or descriptive words that embody all that you have written and read over the past 2 and a half days. Do not overthink this, just write!

• STOP when the timer is up! Read them to yourself out loud. 

• Underline and draw a line to join any repeated words or words that mean the same.

• Circle your favourite 5 words. You will use these in the next exercise tonight.

 

5️⃣ Day 4 : This evening we will consolidate all the pages so far to create an inspirational 'one-pager; for 2021 and beyond.

• Using a new sheet of paper, be sure to weave in your 5 favourite words into a inspiring caption, using all the notes you wrote down each day so far. So you will include:

• The page of all your proud joyful moments and accomplishments of 2020, 

• from the page of all the things, people and experiences you are grateful for 

• and then adding in your answers to the 3-time money circumstance questions, articulating in one nice sentence or paragraph, who you will BE, what you will DO and at the end of 2021 the life you will HAVE.

• All  of this should make up a nice one-pager. This is a great reminder that no matter what we faced in 2020, there were moments of triumph, it will also unveil a beautiful road-map of who you will show up as in 2021
   

• Then pick your 2 key or favourite 'value words' that you have already weaved in to create your 'one-page essay' and create a TITLE for it.  Eg...  I am ____________ & ____________ 
  This is your 2021 Personal Motivational Mantra 

 

6️⃣ Days 5, 6 & 7: On every morning and evening of the 31st December to 3rd January do the following meditation and thanksgiving prayer ritual.

• Breathing slowly (6-2-8 count cycles) lying in bed in the morning or sitting before bed at night and even during the day if you wish, read the title and full page out loud to yourself.

• You may want to play with rewriting it to create a poster or small post notes of sections of it to stick it up in prominent places so you can read it daily throughout 2021.
   

• Most importantly, use the title as your Personal Motivation Mantra everyday, as inspiration throughout the year!

​

If you would like support and a space to share your journey, please join our Private Facebook Group, Living at Your CORE? Click on the image below and join a community of devoted supportive sisters.

See you on Facebook!

Lots of Love and Joy,

Carla  🧡

​