Setting goals and intentions – Page 4

Bullet journaling, goal setting, life hacks, lifestyle, Planning and journaling, Setting goals and intentions, wellbeing

Monday Matters: A guide to creating your own seasonal bucket list for Spring 2024

Posted on Mar 4, 2024Mar 6, 2024 by Laura

For Autumn 2023 and Winter 23/24, I have thoroughly enjoyed and benefitted from creating my own personalised bucket lists and adding my seasonal ideas to a two page spread in my bullet journal for inspiration and reference. For each of the seasons, I also handmade and stitched a pretty TN wide size notebook to go in my TN journal where I added photographs, text, a variety of stickers, ephemera and tip ins to record my achievements over the months. I’ve found the bucket lists a great way to plan in some interesting and exciting activities, set some goals and ensure my husband and I make the most of each season of the year. So, today, I’m sharing my bucket list for Spring 2024, in the hope that you will be inspired to create your own and live your life to the full.

What is a bucket list?

A bucket list is a number of items that a person would like to achieve, experience or bring into fruition over a given time frame. This could be over a lifetime, a year, or, as with mine, during a specific season. There are many benefits of creating and working towards things on your bucket list including:

Helping you to reflect on what is important to you as an individual and what you really want from life
Offers you a number of things to look forward to over the chosen time frame, increases your excitement levels
Providing you with a visual reminder and the focus and motivation you need to move towards your goals
Creating a sense of accomplishment
Pushes you out of your comfort zone which is really good for your personal growth

You can create one which is just for you, or you could make plans with your partner, a close friend or even sit down as a family to come up with some ideas together.

My Spring 2024 Bucket List

Here’s my bucket list for this season in my bullet journal. The words and images were all made into stickers using Cricut Design Space and I’m really pleased with how it turned out. I’ve included a little ceramic bunny I purchased, the wooden egg which I got in the Hobbycraft sale last year and the jigsaw I picked out which I can’t wait to get started with. I’m yet to make the handstitched notebook but I have lots of floral papers which will be suitable for the cover.

Photo credit: Laura Jones for Keeping It Creative

So, how do I get started with my Spring seasonal bucket list?

There’s plenty of seasonal bucket list inspiration online but I like to spend some time in quiet contemplation first. That way, what I add to my list is all about what I want rather than what others believe would make a good Springtime.

Consider your core values and what really matters – Spend some time thinking about what is most important to you in your life or what you wish to focus on more. You might want more fun and adventure, better balance between work, rest and play, opportunities to develop your creativity, new experiences or the chance to learn a new skill. You might want to experiment more in the kitchen, spend lots of time in nature or plan some different day trips to places in your local area. Living in alignment with your personal values is key to improved psychological wellbeing which includes your general happiness levels and outlook.

Think about the particular season you are making plans for – consider the weather associated with Springtime and any particular holidays or events which take place during the season. So, for example, in Spring, the temperature is starting to rise during the day but the evenings are still pretty cool. In Britain, the weather can be calm and dry, but, showers are also pretty common and it can often be a bit breezy. Buds and blossom begin to appear and early blooms such as snowdrops, crocuses, iris and daffodils begin to pop up in the flower beds. Spring is also the time for observing and listening to wildlife too. Bumblebees and butterflies start to make an appearance and hibernating animals such as bats and hedgehogs can be seen from dusk into the night. You might find frogspawn in ponds and watch tiny froglets appear in a matter of weeks. Birds are noisier and livelier as they pair off and start to nest and spring visitors such as swifts, swallows and house martins begin to arrive.

Mother’s Day and Easter both fall in the Springtime and there are, of course, a few Bank Holidays to look forward to. And if you want to find out about events specific to your town or city this website is a great source of information.

Write down every idea that comes to mind – Make a list of potential ideas, big and small, inexpensive and more costly, time consuming and quick. This could include a visit to Pinterest and other sites to look at bucket list ideas and inspirational images.

Refine your list – Having written a long list, it’s time to decide which items are the best fit for your values and priorities. Try to choose some activities which you enjoy each year and are somewhat traditional, but also make sure you include some which are completely new and will push you out of your comfort zone.

Choose a place to store your list – Having a finalised record of your bucket list is important if you want your aspirations to become a reality. Depending on your personal preferences, you might choose to put your list in your planner or journal or have a digital document in Notion of Microsoft Word. There’s even a website and online community dedicated to bucket lists! And, if you relish every opportunity to get creative, like I do, you can make a physical copy of your list with fancy lettering, motivational phrases, sketches, stickers and inspirational images. You might even find you’re excited to share it with your friends and family too.

Remember things can change – Your finished bucket list is a set of items that you hope to experience this Spring but, it’s not a list of commitments or things that you must do or achieve over the time period. You may find that priorities or circumstances change and that some of the items become less important or need to be put on hold for another year. You might also learn of some new opportunities as the season progresses which you want to add to your list or replace an item with.

Previous Bucket Lists

I think I’ve previously shared my Autumn and Winter bucket lists but thought readers might like to see them again for examples of the kinds of thing you could add and how you might decorate a spread in your notebook or bullet journal.

I achieved everything on my Autumn one but didn’t get to play in the snow over the Winter time as it was mostly wet and often quite mild. I still included all of the items in my Traveler’s Notebook journal. but I wrote a few lines about the weather and the impact it had on the season.

Final words…

Creating a bucket list for the season is a wonderful way to plan in some interesting, fun and different activities for the coming months. I also enjoyed making stickers to go with the items on my list but if you prefer, you could have a go at drawing and colouring in some little pictures instead.

Let me know a couple of items that you want to add to your list for Spring 2024. I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas and hope you thoroughly enjoy creating some new memories.

life hacks, lifestyle, productivity, self care, Setting goals and intentions

Monday Matters: 7 benefits of a clutter free and well-organised home environment plus some tips for getting started with decluttering

Posted on Oct 20, 2023Oct 23, 2023 by Laura

One of my current goals, which has been ongoing for quite a while now, is to declutter, tidy and organise my craft room / office, in a way which makes it a pleasant and distraction free environment and consequently a productive place to work and get creative. It’s an enormous job because a) I have soooo much stuff and b) it’s packed into what, in house buying terms, would be described as the box room / box bedroom. I did get started with the process, but then, I found other easier and more preferable projects and activities to do, and now, even the thought of ‘it’ is overwhelming and enough to put me off.

My knowledge and experience of tackling large projects tells me that taking it one tiny step at a time and making a list of tasks to work from (and tick off) would be helpful but I’m sure any of you who have ‘lots of stuff’ can relate and sympathise with me when I explain that pretty much anything and everything else is getting prioritised instead. To give myself the idiomatic ‘kick up the backside’, the idea of writing this blog post was born, to hopefully be a good reminder of the main benefits of a clutter-free and organised space even though I’m pretty sure you can guess a few of them. This might also help with the absorbing of information and fingers crossed with taking action. Clutter-free, super-organised readers can read and then polish their halos plus maybe leave a tip or two in the comments to help me and others. If today’s post has motivated you or helped you feel less alone in having a less than immaculate home environment I would love it if you dropped a comment below to generally make me and others feel better.

Without further ado, here are, what I consider to be the main benefits of a clutter free and well-organised space whether it’s your whole home, a room within your house or just a small area, such as your pantry or the junk drawer. I hope you find the following useful and that, fingers crossed, it gives you the incentive to take that first baby step and then keep going.

Reduced stress and anxiety

Being in an environment full of clutter causes sensory overload, heightened stress levels and feelings of shame and embarrassment (especially if you have visitors). The opposite is true of a clutter free and well-organised home. You’ll find yourself calmer, more relaxed and in control. You’ll likely feel a sense of pride when you look at your environment and what you’ve achieved and are able to maintain, and, you’ll also be much happier showing visitors in – even those who are unexpected! Plus you won’t be needing to apologise for the mess anymore or spend frantic hours trying to hide clutter in random, out of sight places.

Boosts productivity and creativity

A neat and tidy work environment means fewer distractions and plenty of space in which to work. This generally leads to better concentration levels, deeper focus and improved productivity. It also helps to free your mind of mental clutter and provides the space for innovative thoughts and letting your creative juices flow.

So much easier to find things

When you have fewer possessions and every item has a specific home, it makes it much easier to find something when you need it saving you a lot of time and energy. On the other hand, if you’re house is in disarray, it can become extremely frustrating and time consuming to locate the item you need. Often, when I’m struggling to find something, I get myself so worked up that I end up in tears. Aldo, searching places that the item might be reminds me of how much stuff I actually have (and creates feelings of guilt) and brings to mind how, in the past, I’ve bought things to try to make myself feel better when I’ve been depressed.

Rids your home of allergens

As someone who is asthmatic and has a dust allergy, this one is a huge plus for me. Keeping a tidy and uncluttered home makes it much quicker and easier to clean and remove dust, moulds and mildew. Plus, less stuff in general helps with airflow and ventilation. This is good news for anyone with respiratory conditions or other allergies which many people have.

Improved sleep

A neat, tidy and clutter free bedroom creates a sanctuary in which to seek comfort and relaxation ready for a restful night’s sleep. It also provides a peaceful and calming space in which to enjoy a slow start to your morning routine, rather than being immediately overwhelmed by stuff as soon as you open your eyes.

More time for hobbies and socialising with family and friends

A clutter-free and organised home environment is so much quicker and easier to clean and keep tidy. Less time on household chores leaves you with more time to engage in your favourite hobbies and more opportunites to socialise with family and friends. It also means that you can happily invite people round to enjoy your home with you.

Better relationships with those you share your home with

When researching today’s blog post, I came across a range of articles and studies which discussed how mess and clutter can affect relationships and even completely destroy them. This can be due to the clutterer struggling with psychological issues as a result of their stuff, leading to feelings such as stress, anxiety, overwhelm, shame, depression and low self worth. Or, the clutter can cause conflict between individuals living in the home creating feelings of anger, resentment and frustration as well as being a source of arguments and ill feeling.

On the other hand, a tidy and clutter free home environment creates a harmonious and happy house, where all occupants can relax and feel comfortable. A well-organised home also reflects personal qualities such as a sense of control, high self worth, confidence, purposefulness, self love, resourcefulness and resilience, which, together with teamwork and authentic conversation with regard to belongings can result in a much more amicable and loving relationship with your partner or housemates.

Tips for getting started with decluttering

Make a commitment – before you start, you need to be prepared to put in the required time and energy for decluttering. Creating a clutter free and organised home doesn’t happen overnight, it takes a huge commitment which is why it’s good to consider the benefits discussed above. Tidying and decluttering needs to be a priority in your life and something you put your heart and soul into. The tip below should really help to get clear in your mind about what the benefits are for you personally.
Think about and visualise your overall goal – imagine what your tidy home would look like and how it would feel to be there. Visualise yourself walking through your house when you’ve met your goal. Consider exactly how you would spend your time at home. Sketch or write about the improvements you’ve made and ask yourself why it feel the way it now does – a key to manifesting a clutter free and organised home is to imagine you already have exactly what you desire.
Start small – set tiny goals such as tackling one box, one drawer, one shelf, a single pile of papers. Work on one room at a time and make a note of places to work on which will really make a difference – so for example your desk space in your office or craft room, the main counter in your kitchen or the coffee table in your living room.
Allocate an amount of time to the job – you might decide you have 5 or 10 minutes, an hour or a whole afternoon (starting small is good if you’re feeling overwhelmed) . Set a timer and turn on do not disturb mode on your phone.
Take before and after photographs – want a visual reminder of how much progress you’ve made? Take a quick snap on your phone of what the area looked like before and what it looks like at the end of your allocated amount of time. Repeat before and after each decluttering and tidying session.
Get support from an expert Once you’ve got started with the process and have seen some of the impact you can have, you might want to get help from a professional declutterer or a celebrity who has created a home you admire. So, for example Marie Kondo has developed the Spark Joy method for tidying where you work on categories of items in your home in the order suggested, whilst Stacey Solomon has her TV series ‘Sort Your Life Out’ plus her ‘Tap to Tidy’ book full of advice and tips. You don’t need to actually invite Kondo or Stacey Solomon to your home – just make use of their skillset.
Enlist help from family or others in your social circle – if you find decluttering overwhelming, you might want to enlist the help of a family member or friend, even if they’re just there to help you gather things together, make decisions about where to store things or to offer moral support. And if they can’t be there physically, use them as an accountability partner asking them to regularly check in to see how you’re getting on and what progress has been made.
Donate, sell or recycle what you can. This will help you reduce waste (and feel good about your impact on the environment), make a little extra cash or help someone in need (just because it doesn’t spark joy for you, doesn’t mean it won’t for others).
Find a specific home for each and every item – the key to keeping your home neat and tidy is to have a specific storage location for every single item. That way, you’ll know exactly where to put it when you’ve finished with it or where to display the object in your home. Try to keep most things out of sight in drawers, cupboards and boxes as this will make it easy to clean surfaces.
Don’t strive for perfection As you embark on your decluttering journey, be kind to yourself and celebrate small achievements and elements of progress along the way, rather than expecting everything to be perfect before moving on to the next task. Decluttering is a process and can take a lot of time (often much longer than you think), so little and often is the way to go. Also, slightly lowering your expectations can help you to feel like you’re getting there.

I hope you’ve found today’s blog post useful and have picked up a few tips as you’ve read. I’m sure you can see how beneficial a clutter free and well-organised home is for your mental and physical health and how it can make for a happier living space overall.

Additionally, I’m thinking about doing another piece at some point in the future that focuses specifically on decluttering and organising craft supplies, as this, for me, is the area that needs most work. Let me know in the comments if you would find this helpful too.

Happy decluttering, tidying and organising,

goal setting, life hacks, productivity, self care, Setting goals and intentions

Embrace Your Journey: Living Your Best Life and Achieving Your Goals – Guest post by Linda Chase

Posted on Sep 19, 2023Sep 28, 2023 by Laura

Today, I’m sharing a second great blog post written by Linda Chase of Able Hire, this time discussing strategies to help you cultivate your best life and meet with success as you make your way towards your hopes and dreams for the future. I’m sure you’ll like the content as much as I did and will pick up some useful tips as you read. Enjoy!

As we navigate through life, we are constantly exploring ways to enhance our journey. The journey to live our best life and achieve our dreams is a continuous process that requires commitment, resilience, and a balanced approach. Here, Keeping it Creative presents eight key strategies you can incorporate right now to help you lead a fulfilled life and accomplish your aspirations.

Build your confidence through fashion

Confidence is a fundamental ingredient for success, and one way to boost it is through your personal style. Fashion can be an expression of your personality, serving as a confidence booster. Dressing in a way that makes you feel good about yourself can have a significant impact on your self-assuredness.

Cultivate resilience

Life is full of challenges, but the way we perceive and respond to these difficulties greatly impacts our growth. Embrace challenges as opportunities for learning and self-improvement. Develop coping strategies, like mindfulness or journaling, to overcome setbacks and bounce back stronger than before.

Embrace Self-Care

In our pursuit of goals, we often neglect our physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Make self-care a priority. Incorporate regular exercise into your schedule, practice mindfulness, and cultivate healthy eating habits. Pursue things that make you happy! If you love art, check out the fun options on Keeping it Creative. These small actions can significantly improve your overall well-being and productivity.

Foster Positive Energy

It’s important to surround yourself with positivity as much as possible wherever you are. If your family, roommates, or coworkers seem stuck in a negative mindset, take time to talk through what is going on and make it right. Then, you can cleanse the space with naturopathic cleaning remedies to reset the energy. You can even smudge with sage if you desire. It is hard to be at your best when you are surrounded by negativity, so take control of the energy around you!

Develop a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset – the belief that you can learn, improve, and evolve – is crucial for personal development. See failures not as dead-ends but as stepping stones towards success. In fact, anxiety and stress can be positive motivators to get out of our comfort zone and do something amazing! Regularly seek out opportunities for growth and learning, and embrace change as a necessary part of the journey.

Stay Curious

Curiosity acts as a catalyst for creativity and innovation, driving us towards our objectives. By committing to daily learning, be it through reading a new book, enrolling in an online course, or delving into a fresh hobby, we stimulate our minds. This practice of maintaining an active and engaged mind is a testament to the power of curiosity in fueling our personal and professional growth.

Network with Like-Minded Individuals

Surround yourself with people who share your values and aspirations. Build a network of supportive, motivating individuals who inspire you to keep moving forward. Exchanging ideas, collaborating on projects, and supporting each other’s journeys can significantly contribute to your overall success.

Keep a Clean Home

The condition of your living environment is a reflection of your mental well-being, and an organised, clean space can positively influence your mood, enhancing productivity and promoting tranquility. Concurrently, setting clear, manageable objectives offers essential direction and focus in your life’s journey. Regularly taking time to declutter and re-organise your physical space is as crucial as periodically reviewing and adjusting your goals for maintaining motivation. Both practices ensure you’re on the right path towards achieving a harmonious mental state and accomplishing your aspirations. Get the most out of your cleaning efforts by taking advantage of resources like Cleaner Digs.

Foster Meaningful Connections

Cherishing our connections with loved ones greatly enhances our overall happiness. It’s essential to prioritise time for gatherings, providing opportunities to fortify bonds and create lasting memories. Embrace technology with a free invitation maker, which simplifies the process of planning both impromptu and scheduled events. You can create invitations by modifying templates and adding your own text.

Search for Joy and Meaning

Living your best life and achieving your goals is a journey of resilience, self-care, growth, curiosity, and supportive networks. By incorporating these eight key strategies into your life, you’re setting yourself up for success. Remember, it’s not about the destination, but the journey, and every step you take towards betterment is a step closer to living your best life and achieving your dreams.

So there you have it, eight wonderful strategies for living your best life and embracing your journey towards your goals. I particularly enjoyed learning more about the effect your physical environment can have on your mental wellbeing. As some of my readers will know, I’m currently in the process of decluttering my craft room and my goal is to have a neat and well-organised space which is a joy to work and craft in. I’ve realised that I would benefit from re-prioritising this aspiration as Linda has reminded me that it’s key to boosting my mood, being more productive and feeling in control.

Both Linda and I would love to hear your thoughts on today’s guest post, especially which points resonated with you the most, so feel free to drop a comment below.

gardening, goal setting, journalling, lifestyle, Planning and journaling, productivity, reflective journalling, Setting goals and intentions

Monday Matters: 7 Reasons Why You Need to Keep a Garden Planner and Journal

Posted on Jun 9, 2023Jun 12, 2023 by Laura

Over the years, I’ve kept various records of plants we’ve put in our garden, and I’ve saved all of the plastic information cards that come stuck in the pots when you buy them. I’ve also made notes in my bullet journal and even drawn plant ID cards for some of my favourite purchases. However, these resources are in an array of different folders and notebooks and often I can’t locate what I need when I want to check something. So, I decided I would like to keep a garden planner / journal and I found the perfect folder when I visited one of my local garden centres and asked my husband if he would like to buy it to give me for Christmas. Of course, any notebook or file would have done, but as someone who adores beautiful stationery, this one provides the motivation to use it regularly and has lots of different papers and pockets to put things in.

I’ve been using the folder since the very beginning of Spring 2023 and so far I’m finding it a really useful record keeping tool. I’m also hoping that by documenting everything garden related, it will help me to feel a real sense of achievement and begin to recognise that all of our efforts are paying off (even when I feel like it’s a constant battle to keep on top of the weeds or a few of our plants aren’t looking their best).

What is a garden planner and journal?

A garden planner and journal is a paper based or electronic place to store everything related to your outdoor spaces and even your houseplants if you so wish. As well as making you super organised it can provide, for example, a place to keep track of what you’ve planted and where, journal space to evaluate what has worked and what hasn’t, pages to record and plan seasonal tasks, list of to dos (AKA jobs for the weekend!), photo showing different parts of your garden over time so you can see and celebrate your achievements over the months and years. You can customise your records to suit your needs but you might include details of your soil in different parts of the garden, information about your various plants and notes on how well they have done depending on their location, ideas you have collected from magazine and online articles, issues you’ve had with some of your plants such as garden pests or poor growth, labelled sketches of flower beds or the garden as a whole, lists of your seed purchases and even a garden wishlist – the possibilities are endless.

Why should I keep a garden planner and journal?

In a nutshell, keeping a garden planner and journal, which you regularly write in, will make you a better and more efficient gardener and enable you to get so much pleasure from your space no matter whether it’s a few containers on your balcony, a tiny plot or a vast amount of land which keeps you constantly busy. Here are my top seven reasons why you should start a garden planner and journal today:

It helps you remember what’s where

Drawing a labelled sketch of the different parts of your garden such as flower beds, vegetable sections, corner plots, rockery etc helps you to remember exactly what you’ve got and where things are located. It can also provide information such as the particular colour or variety of plants.

I’ve also created a list of containers (size, colour and location helps here), what’s in each and when the plant grows and flower so that I know what’s going to pop up when and also, if it doesn’t come back, I can record and evaluate accordingly.

It’s a good idea to sketch your garden each season so you can see what’s in flower at particular times, which veggies are currently being grown and where your evergreen / deciduous shrubs and trees are. Then you can add in your annuals and assess whether there are any gaps which you want to fill.

You can create and maintain weekly and monthly plans

If you love your garden and want it to look good, you need to regularly dedicate time and energy to gardening. My planner contains weekly overviews for each season where you can record particular jobs that need doing each year and also ‘Jobs for the Weekend’ pages for running task lists. It’s really satisfying ticking them all off and it helps us to see what we still need to do and estimate how long each job will take. These task lists can then be revisited next year.

I like to go on reliable websites like Gardener’s World and RHS plus other UK based sites to look at what I should be doing each month and then handpick jobs specific to our garden. I also follow a few UK YouTube accounts for ideas too. You could even keep a list of useful websites in your journal somewhere too.

A place to log new additions to your garden spaces

All gardeners love going to local garden centres and nurseries to choose new perennials plus annual bedding plants for instant colour. You can record all of these in a list, stating where they were purchased and how much they cost, plus key information front the plant labels. getting new bits and pieces for their garden whether it’s a perennial plant, a new pot, a comfortable bench or chair and cushions, so And your new additions list doesn’t just have to be a space for greenery, you can also record new pieces of furniture such as a gorgeous new bench and bright cushions or a little potting bench, atmospheric solar powered or mains operated lights, new paths or replacement gravel, patio slabs, hanging baskets, rockeries, storage spaces such as a little shed or a box to put soft furnishings over winter, and wildlife friendly pieces such as a pond, bug hotel, hedgehog house or toad abode! Then, when you can’t recall how long you’ve had raised bed, you can check your records instead of trying to establish how long it’s lasted from memory.

A good chart to have in your planner is a record of seeds which you plan to set, when and where e.g. in trays indoors or directly into prepared veg beds or outdoor pots, how many to set (usually dependent on size and desired crop), date to set and germination times. You can also include a section for any notes, so, for example we find that our two courgette seeds for the two large plants we want don’t always germinate so we tend to put a couple in each plug or create more plugs.

You can find examples of seed charts on Pinterest for you to draw up (preferably on gridded paper), or, if you’re pushed for time, you can purchase printables on Etsy.

Helps you track progress over time

The other week I found some photographs of my husband sitting out in our back garden a couple of years after we’d moved into our house. I decided to print them out as there’s a huge difference between how the space looked then and what it looks like now less than 10 years later. The transformation is amazing and if we didn’t have a photographic record, I don’t think we would be able to fully appreciate all that we’ve achieved. You might not have photos from a decade ago (or maybe you do?) but why not start recording now and see how your space has changed in one, two or even ten years?

A useful spot to record successes, challenges + complete failures and reflect on why

We’ve been developing our garden for over ten years now and have had many successes but probably just as many failures. Some of the failures are permanently stuck in my memory, like the fact that every time we have tried to grow lupins, no matter where we got the plants from, the ended up covered in aphids which made my skin crawl! Likewise, some of our complete successes still take pride of place in our flowerbeds such as the beautiful, long lasting and colourful geums. However, there are many more triumphs and disappointments that I wish I’d written down and reflected on. Here’s a list of aspects of gardening which you might like to make a few notes on:

garden pests – what specific plants they’ve eaten, when they eat (daytime, night time, particular times of year, following particular weather etc), thoughts about why they eat e.g. slugs and snails love to munch on our dahlia so this year we’ve potted one up, covered the soil in grit and placed it in the front garden porch away from other plants and it’s doing much better
plant diseases and treatment e.g. our hollyhocks get rust every year so I inspect them early on and removed infected leaves quickly and dispose of them
plants which don’t like the conditions – too dry, too wet, hate clay soil, not enough sun/shade etc and whether they are to be moved or just dug up
weather related challenges (e.g. storms, continuous rain, dry spells etc.) and how specific plants coped
seed germination failures – dates planted and when replacements set or when new seeds purchased and set
weed related issues e.g. we have a huge problem with celandine and it’s a constant battle to get rid of them, I spend 10 minutes every day on their removal and I’m glad when they die back by mid May

I’m sure you probably have many more ideas but hopefully these are enough to get you started.

A place to dream, make wishlists, include inspirational images, identify your short and long term goals and make plans of action

If, like me, you have a beautifully, colourful and well maintained garden on your vision board for the future, it’s a good idea to have a section in your journal to include wishlists, inspiring photographs, goals and action steps and maybe even a written explanation of what you want your dream garden to look like and how you want to feel when in it. You can then check in regularly with this section of your journal and see how well you are progressing with your goals. You can also note down things from your wishlist to look for next time you go shopping to one of your local garden centres.

Final words…

As you start your record keeping, remember that your file doesn’t need to be perfect and will most certainly evolve over time. You might want to start by simply taking a few photos of how your space looks now and then making a few notes of some of the plants which are located in each section. Or, if you like drawing and creating diagrams, you might take some squared paper to draw different parts of your plot and label the names of plants currently growing there. I can also recommend colouring in the plants that are currently in flower so you can see the balance across your plot.

Then, on another occasion, you might make a basic to do list (try Googling garden jobs for June and your specific location) for the month and tick tasks off as you complete them. You could even add a few jobs that are already complete or underway to get some easy and satisfying ticks by the end of the week.

I hope you’ve found today’s post useful and it has inspired you to give this form of planning, record keeping and journalling a go. Let me know what you choose to do first and how you get on.

CBT, compassion, lifestyle, mental health, Setting goals and intentions, wellbeing, wellness

Monday Matters: Nine ways to make your day amazing

Posted on May 15, 2023May 11, 2023 by Laura

As I shared in a previous post, I’ve started using The Five Minute Journal morning and evening as a way to be more grateful, live with intention, remain positive and just generally have a good day, every day, no matter what. One of the prompts for early morning is to decide on three things that would make today great and list them. At first, when I started using the journal, the temptation was to just write my ‘must do’s’ from my ever lengthening to-do list as a way of being and feeling super productive. However, what I think is much more valuable (and a key idea with the book) is to think about ways in which you can upgrade your day by considering things such as be present (mindfulness), doing things that really matter to you (based on your core values + current goals and intentions) and finding time for or creating habits which give your body and mind what they really need to improve both your physical and mental health and therefore your general wellbeing. So, today, I’m going to share nine ways to improve your day by figuring out your current priorities, doing things that align with your core values, instilling positive habits, re-phrasing self talk and making meaningful progress towards your short term / medium term / life goals, desires and intentions.

Of course, I do realise that, every now and then, events happen in our day which contribute to uncomfortable emotions such as those associated with anger, fear, sadness and disgust and that sometimes, it becomes difficult to remain positive or optimistic. However, I hope that by sharing these suggestions, I will be helping you to learn simple ways to create high vibe states such as peace, joy, gratitude, enthusiasm, optimism, hope and happiness and recognise the effect that these can have on your day. As you create and maintain healthier habits, you should also notice that you spend less time dwelling on negative events and situations and more time celebrating the positives and recognising all that is good in your life.

Today, I’m sharing nine ways to improve your day-to-day but I’m sure, when you think about it, you’ll be able to come up with many more ideas for upgrading from an okay day, to one which leaves you feeling satisfied that you’re living your best life.

Be present

Being present is a state of mindfulness where we slow down and bring awareness to what is right in front of us and what is happening in the current moment. By focusing on the here and now, we’re not dwelling on the past (sometimes referred to as rumination) or worrying about the future. This can help us feel calmer and more relaxed. It can also have a positive impact on our relationships, make it easier for us to manage stress and relieve mental health symptoms such as anxiety and depression.

Bringing you attention to and staying in the current moment is a skill that everyone can develop but it does take a lot of practice and can, at times, be really difficult. However, it’s definitely worth persevering if you want to experience the above benefits. To get started, give this blog post a read.

Consider what really matters and take action

Have you ever sat down and seriously reflected on what really matters to you right now? If you haven’t, I can highly recommend taking some time to do this as it can provide a useful starting point to help you decide where to make changes in your life for the better. I find that the best way to do this is to look at a comprehensive list of personal, professional or core values and make a note of those which particularly resonate most with you. Then, when you’ve selected those which matter the most, you can either continue to make time for these things, think about new habits to work on instilling or work on better aligning your behaviour to fit with your current priorities. So, for example, you might decide that having fun with your partner is really important to you and something you want to make more time for in your relationship. Then, you might list fun activities you’ve enjoyed in the past e.g. going to a comedy show, playing mini golf, spending the day at the seaside paddling in the sea, building sandcastles and eating ice cream, and some you’d like to try in the future e.g. canoeing, a Segway tour, exploring the night sky at an observatory, taking a road trip to somewhere new or go camping.

Get your body moving.

I’m sure you already know the benefits of exercise for your mind and body but adding movement to your day doesn’t necessarily mean hitting the gym for an hour. Here’s some quick and easy ways to raise your pulse rate:

check out this webpage for some easy stretches you can do in the morning before you even leave your bed
put on your favourite upbeat track and dance around your bedroom / kitchen / living room
take a quick power walk around the block in your lunch break
find a 10 minute ‘no equipment’ exercise routine on YouTube to have a go at. Add those you enjoy to your favourites.
Do some gentle stretching exercises throughout your day to ease tension and improve your circulation, flexibility, blood flow and posture. Try focusing on areas of your body where you typically hold tension such as your neck, shoulders and upper back. The NHS website has plenty of ideas – try searching ‘NHS flexibility’.

Do a little cleaning, tidying or decluttering

Doing a little bit of cleaning, tidying or decluttering each day can provide a real mood boost and a sense of satisfaction when you admire what you’ve achieved. It doesn’t have to be a long or arduous task, but just taking five or ten minutes can make a difference. You might give your kitchen worktops a deep clean, choose just one drawer or shelf in your kitchen to re-organised or decide to check through your make up bag for products which are past their best or haven’t been used in a while. Over time, these short, focused ‘projects’ will help you to create and maintain a home that you’re super proud of and, if you want an easy way to measure your progress, I recommend taking a quick before and after snap on your phone so you can see what a difference you’ve made – you could even store the ‘after’ photos in a digital folder called ‘my lovely home’!

Practice gratitude

I’ve talked about the importance of being grateful for the things and people you have in your life in a number of previous blog post and the benefits of a daily gratitude practice are well documented. The morning part of The Five Minute Journal asks you to record three things that you are grateful for and, I’ve found that I know find it so easy to fill in. I also find myself expressing my gratitude in my thoughts throughout the day on a regular basis. So, for example today, I was a little annoyed that I had to get the washing off the line as it started raining as soon I’d finished hanging it out but I was glad I had to because it rained much heavier whilst I was at my Zumba class. I was also grateful that I’d made the decision to pop on my raincoat to wear to the gym as the rain became torrential before the end of my class.

If you want to start a gratitude practice but you’re not sure how, check out this blog post which gives my best tips as well as discussing the benefits of developing a consistent daily habit.

Learn something new

Making time in your routine to learn something new each day is not only a wonderful workout for your brain, it’s also an effective way of reducing stress and calming your body down. Acquiring new information on a topic of interest or developing your skills in a particular area promotes self- improvement and personal growth and can really boost your self esteem and confidence. What you set out to learn and how you do it is really up to you but it’s a good idea to spend some time quietly thinking about subjects of interest and jotting them down in a notebook e.g. money management, particular hobbies, creative writing and animal welfare, things you’d like to know more about e.g. eco friendly cleaning solutions, a particular country or place you’d love to visit, British history, and skills you’d like to work on e.g. cooking, drawing, leadership, time-management and so on. Once you’ve done this, you can then schedule time for learning and begin to collect a bank of useful resources e.g. books, online articles, videos, in person or online classes etc.

Replace ‘I have to…’ with ‘I get to…’ and consider other aspects of your self talk

On the subject of being grateful for what you have, another way you can work on altering your mindset in a positive way is to begin to notice when ‘I have to…’ pops into your head and change it to ‘I get to…’ So, rather than saying ‘I have to go to work’, you would rephrase it as ‘I get to go to work’ focusing on the fact that you have the opportunity rather than it being an obligation.

In a similar vein, statements such as ‘I need to…’, ‘I have to…’ or ‘I should…’ can create pressure and an expectation to perform, whereas better self talk could include ‘I would like to…’, ‘I might…’ or ‘it would be good if…’ e.g. rather than ‘I need to get that washing up done because it’s piling up’ you could say ‘It would be good if I did the washing up now so that the kitchen is clean and tidy for making dinner’. (Find out more by reading this blog post from a few years back.)

Find time for things you love

I believe that setting aside time to do something you love each day is super important if you want to feel a sense of satisfaction with your life. Again, writing down activities you enjoy or get value from and recording a short explanation of why can help. Here’s some examples from my personal list to give you some ideas:

bird watching
nature walks
reading health and wellbeing magazines
watching psychological thrillers on TV (or reading them on my Kindle)
playing card and board games
making sweet treats such as flapjack, cookies or cupcakes
doing 1000 piece jigsaws
playing Angry Birds 2, Candy Crush and Word Cookies on my tablet
hand lettering with my brush pens
painting my nails
using my watercolours

Avoid distractions and information overload

My final tip for making the most of your time and having a great day, is to minimise sources of distraction and develop ways to prevent information overload. I would say that the most common source of distraction and productivity killer comes from modern technology and presents itself in the form of notifications such as text messages, emails or social media happenings (such as tweets, status updates on Facebook, Instagram stories and photo shares, YouTube video postings and so on) and often a combination of all three. I don’t consider myself an expert on avoiding such distractions but this is what I’m trying at the moment:

two email addresses – one for work related emails for my Etsy shop, blog and university work with notifications for messages from actual people (rather than organisationd) going to my Fitbit watch during the day, the other for all other emails such as those from businesses with notifications turned off. If I’ve placed an online order and want to track progress, I just use the search facility to find the relevant information.
keep my phone in another room whilst I’m working (whether that’s on my shop, my blog, gardening, housework etc)
turning off social media notifications and then setting aside a small amount of time each day to ‘check in’
avoiding looking at my phone during my 5 minute Pomodoro Technique breaks

In terms of information overload, there are some useful tips contained in this blog post including how to consider the type of content you wish to engage depending on your current priorities.

Final words…

I’ve found The Five Minute Journal really useful in helping me to decide what my priorities are for that particular day and in thinking about what would turn my week days and weekend days from just okay or average to great or amazing. Whether you use this journal system or not, spending a few minutes each morning in mindful contemplation in relation to the above can make such a difference to your day.

I hope you have taken away something useful from your reading and I would love to hear any thoughts or additional ideas you may have in the comments.