Yesterday we began a mental summit–a journey to look back on where you’ve been so that you can set your intentions for where you want to be. If you missed the intro, you can read prompt 1 here.
If you prefer video, you can learn this exercise by checking out the YouTube version here.
Today’s exercise takes 10-20 minutes. We are going to try and listen to what our spirit tells us about the way we’ve expended our energy in the past year. Here’s how you set it up:
In your journal, draw a vertical line down the middle of the page and write “MORE” as a header on the left and “LESS” as a header on the right side.
- For 5-7 minutes, write down what you want MORE of in this next year (next decade?!) and what you want LESS of. It might help you to review your calendar for the last year. Survey each month’s appointments and tasks and then place yourself back in that month. Your “less” and “more” columns don’t have to align, just freeform words that come to mind as you mentally review each month of the year.
- Next, take a moment to look at your list and circle three “MORE” words and three “LESS words” from each column that you MOST desire to experience. This is a gut-level answer, so circle the first words that come to mind. We are trying to get you in touch with what your intuition knows you need, so moving quickly is important before you can over-think it.
- Now, look at your highest priorities from each column and prepare to rewrite them on a new page. As you look at the less and more column, you may discover some word pairings (which is probably a sign that it’s your MOST important work). For instance, if you circled the word or phrase “RELAXATION” from the more column and “STRESS” from the less column, you would put those together by writing this:
In 2020, I am setting an intention for more RELAXATION and less STRESS.
Most likely, all of your words from the columns won’t necessarily align. In that case, you would write the phrase like these examples:
In 2020, I am setting an intention for more MEANINGFUL WORK and less ________.
In 2020, I am setting an intention for more ___________________ and less GOSSIP.
4. Think about what words or phrases need to go into the blanks to insure that you can move toward your desired outcome. In this example, I would need to think about what stands in opposition to MEANINGFUL WORK and what stands in opposition to GOSSIP. I would then enter those words in:
In 2020, I am setting an intention for more MEANINGFUL WORK and less DISTRACTION.
In 2020, I am setting an intention for more HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS and less GOSSIP.
5. At the end of the exercise, you should have between three and six statements of intention that you are considering for 2020. (Notice, we are still considering at this point in the journey. One of the important things about this practice is not committing before we are committed–a half-hearted commitment is worse than no commitment at all, so do not enter into these until you are ready.
6. Now Sleep On It. (Such an important step, I capitalized it) Ask yourself tomorrow: “do these intentions feel as critical and important to me today as they did yesterday?” Cross off any that don’t make that cut.
