Protect Your Yes
“I don’t know what you’ve been told, but time is running out, so spend it like it’s gold.”
~ One Republic
Hello, Dear Ones,
Anytime we say yes to something, we inevitably opt out of something else. This is something I’ve thought a lot about over the past couple of years, as we’ve had to start being more intentional about what we say yes to because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recently, I was listening to the Ologies podcast by the lovely and brilliant Alie Ward (give it a listen if you haven't!), and her guest René from Black Girl, Lost Keys, reminded me of this boldly with her message, “Guard your yes!” René is all about protecting your yes, and she has a fabulous blog post and even some cool guard your yes merch you can find on her website.
While I’ve been focusing on prioritizing yesses that align with my values, I still find myself taking on more recently. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll start two new part-time jobs teaching and coaching. Along with this, I'll continue to work to grow and improve my business and collaborate with my clients. And, though not something I have to choose to say yes to, I'm moving into my 36th year on this earth! I want to make sure I transition into these things with mindful awareness and intention.
Things have begun to move more quickly this summer, and life has more of a pre-pandemic feel at times. While I love being able to be back out in the world, I want to make sure I am intentionally returning to life activities with the lessons I learned when life was a bit slower-paced.
This time is a great example of when mindful transitions can be so powerful. Parents and kids are getting ready for school, summer is giving us a last hurrah before the seasonal transition to fall, and life is getting extremely real and busy again.
What does a mindful transition into the next season or phase look like for you?
Mindful transitioning is something I started doing a couple of years ago while I was in my grad program. I noticed that I was moving from one activity to the next without any real awareness or intention, and this felt a bit chaotic and disorganized. So I started to bring in mindfulness practices: closing my eyes, taking a few deep breaths, planting my feet on the floor, and then visualizing myself closing the book on one task and opening the other.
It helped me feel more connected and present with what I was doing, whether studying, cooking, or working. I do this to transition into and out of “work mode” daily, which has become especially important while working at home.
If this feels like something you’re curious about, stay tuned because I’m creating a workshop about mindfully transitioning!
For now, I wonder how you can experiment with creating more intention and making more mindful transitions in your life. Maybe there's a fun ritual you could add to your commute or during your break to help you feel more present and connected.
If you’d like help with this, I would love the opportunity to walk alongside you. You can connect with me here to book your free 30-minute discovery call.
Until next time dear ones, practice protecting your yes and playing with ways to mindfully transition in your life.
I’m so grateful to be a part of your life's journey.
With love and kindness,
Jessica
P.S.
The fun thing I’ve been doing to take care of myself has been experimenting with mindful rituals. I’ve been playing around with my morning routine, adding things, experimenting with how much time I spend on things, and adding different elements of music, candles, and blankets. It’s been refreshing to mix it up a bit, and I love intentionally bringing in the beginner's mindset and fun at the beginning of the day. It helps set the tone!
If you'd like to leave me a tip, you can buy me an iced tea!
