Posted on January 13, 2020 by dragonspitapothecary
In less than 90 days from today it will start to show the signs of Spring. Little crocus flowers will start to emerge followed by daffodils and small leaves on the trees. If you live where it snows that too will start to show signs of melting. The days will feel warmer and the sun brighter for a little longer each day. Yes, in just 90 days it will start to feel like a different setting all together.
You will feel the energy of these changes when these signs in nature start to appear. You will find you are more energetic, alert, awakened and perhaps even refreshed. You will look forward to seeing the colors of Spring and feeling the warmth of the sun. You will find you want to go outdoors more or even open a window in your home to let fresh air in. We feel these changes even without really noticing them consciously. Yet we are drawn to these feelings and movements quite naturally.
Today is Really a Preparation
We are very clearly not in the Spring season yet. The days are still quite cold and there’s snow in several parts of the country blanketing landscapes. The days are in fact gray and bleak with drizzle and sleet sometimes. These scenes are still beautiful and intentional for us. We find rest, restoration and the ability to work from within ourselves and our homes.
Winter is our time to prepare for the actions we take in Spring and Summer. It is a time of planning, preparing and setting forth the small actions that will support our future. My favorite part of January is when the seed catalogs arrive with options for growing things in my garden in a couple months. I can pick things to start indoors and list out things to be planted directly outside. I can sketch out the rows that will contain the vegetables I want to grow this year. This is a perfect time and season to do these types of things physically and emotionally.
Our health is much like the seeds. We are assessing, planning, making small steps that will support our long term growth and vitality. While many of us will attempt to make drastic diet and exercise changes in January the truth is sometimes we fail because it isn’t the right time to start these types of activities. Our bodies are aligned with nature’s seasonal changes and right now it’s calling for us to do smaller changes and rest. These smaller changes are still important and support our goals but it can seem like we are not making any progress at all right now. We are though as we modify our diets, reset our sleep to improve quality and plan for how we will ultimately reform our health.
These small changes like taking a nap, practicing yoga or eating a healthy meal are still influencing our health. We are still making changes but we are allowing our body time to adapt, adjust, and build on these smaller activities. When Spring rolls in soon we are stronger and ready for more challenging activities. We are emerging from our homes ready for longer walks, more strenuous exercises and an expansion of our healthy eating. We are craving fresh vegetables and lighter foods that weren’t as easy to get or as tasty to eat in Winter.
Planning for the next 90 Days
What we set out to do in 2020 can be set into a strategy that we start working on gradually during this time. For many of us our intention this year was to be more healthy, to lose weight and be less ill throughout the year. We can use this time in January to figure out what that looks like in motion. How will we do those things? What are we most looking forward to on this change journey? What interests us the most about doing it?
We can then adapt small things to try like changing out some of our meals to be healthier or working on sleep routines. We can use a cold blustery day in January to stay inside and practice meditation or yoga. We can call up a couple friends and take a brisk walk outside. These changes do not have to be extreme or even inconvenient. It is almost tradition to buy a new gym membership in January only to find we never make it to the gym or we dread going. Instead we can save our money and focus on smaller changes that give us the foundation for later Buy a new pair of sneakers or a yoga mat instead and start where you are more comfortable. Begin to use a food journal or learn to meal prep your lunches. Start where you are and build momentum so when we are ready to increase our exercise we can consider larger options like that gym membership.
Many resolutions will fail in January and February because we are not prepared for what these changes feel like in our body and mind. We want the changes but we are not ready to commit to the level that some of us feel obligated or necessary to see major results. Our bodies quickly become tired and sore and that doesn’t feel good. We see our minds dreading repeating these challenging workouts that are don’t feel strong enough or confident enough to complete. We feel awkward and clumsy at them. It is entirely normal to feel these things but I encourage you to give your body and mind a path to follow that is supportive of where you are right now and how you are feeling. For many of us making small changes now can help us overcome those intimidation feelings we feel about going into a gym.
When you are overweight and out of shape there is nothing more intimidating than walking into a gym and feeling like a failure at not being able to accomplish what looks easy for others doing the same thing. These negative feelings add up to us giving up, feeling like we can’t do and it’s not for us. While this is not true at all it does point out that we need to take a different path to getting there. Instead we could be finding things we enjoy doing like taking the dog for a walk or learning to cook healthier options. These things are just as effective at supporting our health goals but leave us feeling positive with a sense of accomplishment. When we feel accomplished we are more likely to build on that experience and grow stronger in the process. It’s must less intimidating and we don’t dread it.
How to Start
If improving your health or losing weight are on your intentions list for this year then I highly recommend starting with a wellness assessment. This will give you insights into what is really important to you. I will give you a personalized report from your answers that will help you set a solid 90 day plan for making changes. It’s also free. You can take the wellness assessment here: dragonspitapothecary.com/wellness-and-lifestyle
With this information you can then add in the tools and support you need to start these next 90 days of change in a meaningful way that supportive to you. You can factor in your budget as well to know what tools and support you need to help you. Setting your strategy around a plan that is personal to you is a positive step that will propel you into making smaller changes gradually that will add up to those larger changes you want to accomplish. It most importantly lets you adjust where you need to fit your needs and budget instead of seeing money wasted on things you won’t use long term.
What does the end of the next 90 days look like for you?
If you have questions or would like help, please reach out through the dragonspitapothecary.com/contact
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