A Resources Jewelbox: Slowing Down, Self-Love, A Fun Take On Goals
Plus Pay From The Heart Coaching & Mindfulness Retreats
I just took a walk through a nearby green space (for want of a better term - but it was more like a greyscale space today), and it struck me how quiet and bare the natural world is here at the moment. We’re in mid-winter, most of the trees are leafless, and aside from the odd pottering squirrel or bird, the vibe coming out of nature right now is ‘down-time’. Who knows what’s going on beneath the surface - the processing, the nourishment, roots extending maybe - but on the outside, things look quiet.
I’ve been trying to find the sweet spot with this myself - feeling an inclination to hibernate and slow down, and at the same time feeling excited and motivated about expanding my 1:1 coaching practice and doing a bit of a marketing drive (wow - probably a story for another day here, but as someone originating from the public sector, being able to say the word ‘marketing’ without cringing - and in fact, celebrating the ability to share what I’m doing with the world - is quite a change!). So finding the balance between those has been a learning curve.
And while my intention since a week into January has been ‘slowing down’, my word for 2025 so far appears to be ‘Gilmore’ (for Gilmore Girls1, the early 2000s TV show which I missed the first time round but which has become the welcome wallpaper2 to my 2025 so far).
If you, too, are trying to be a bit more tuned in with the rhythms of the natural world3, taking things a bit slower (as far as surviving in the modern world allows), here are some resources that might be fun to explore.
This sloth on my laptop background really gets it…
SLOWING DOWN/TUNING IN
(Underlined bits are links).
I was so excited when I found this the other day - from one of the brilliant teaching duo from the 8 week mindful self-compassion course I did, and whose real-world retreats I love. This is a self-paced mindfulness day (i.e. videos and a schedule you can follow or adapt to fit into the time you have available).
From the same teachers, various other mindfulness training and practices.
Insight Timer - an app with an encyclopedic range of free recorded meditations and other guided reflective practices.
TAKING STOCK/LOOKING AHEAD
And if, like me, you’re extending that ‘year end/looking back and looking forward’ mentality a little longer into these winter months, here are some things you might find useful for that:
Year Compass is a free booklet filled with prompts that get you to reflect on the year gone, and look ahead to the coming year. You print it out, clear some mental and physical space and then follow the prompts. An old housemate always recommended this one. So far, I’ve printed it out and taken this photo:
(Warning: If you try to do it all at a cafe, you may bankrupt yourself in coffee expenses).
Fun takes on goals
Thanks social media for these ones! And thanks also to my friend Charlotte for sending some of these (and sidenote for London-based people - Charlotte is an amazing comedian and is performing in London on 1st Feb).
i) Write your goals on wine bottles.
Non-alcohol alternatives would work equally well. After you’ve identified some goals for the months ahead, you write one goal on each wine bottle (or other delightful thing that you’d look forward to opening and sharing with friends). Then, as the year goes on, each time you get one of those things done, you open it with your friends and celebrate! I’m keen on this one because I know how easy it is to forget our achievements and move quickly on without celebrating.
ii) Make ‘2025 Bingo’ - create your own bingo card with things you want to do in 2025, and see how many you can cross off.
If (1) and (2) are way too much for the headspace you have at the moment, how about these quick mini-versions:
In the next 30 seconds, scribble down as many things as you can think of that you’re pleased you did in the last week. This can include spending time with people that are important to you, showing up places you needed to be, resting, listening to your needs, getting tasks done, or simply ‘being’ (just some ideas - it’s up to you what pleases you!).
If you have any items knocking around that you would enjoy using/eating and that will last a few days (e.g. fun cosmetics, edible treats etc), how about this: Pick a few things that you hope to devote time to/get done today or tomorrow. Write one on each of your ‘treat’ items (sticky labels or something). When you get each thing done, enjoy your treat!
LEARNING TO LOVE YOURSELF
Back in December, I wrote two articles for the Life Coach Directory, published here and here. They were on the theme of learning to love yourself (because this was one of the themes that Life Coach Directory said they needed articles on, and because this fits well with the work that I do).
In the articles, I talk about these 3 things that most of us experience, that get in the way of self-love, and how to change this:
Labelling parts of ourselves as ‘bad’. (Whereas actually, we’re human and, just like the title of the 2023 book summarising one of the key models that my coaching is based around, we have ‘No Bad Parts’).
Striving to ‘be better’.
Rushing and stress.
Check out the articles (1) and (2) if you’re intrigued to know more.
PAY FROM THE HEART COACHING
After exploring a few different ways of offering discounted rates for coaching, I’ve landed on testing out an approach called ‘pay from the heart’, informed by this.
Contrary to some received wisdom about the way to do things, I’ve decided to throw caution to the wind and publish my prices on my website. Knowing that this is all a bit of trial and error and I might need to adapt and change as I go. But for now, I hope it’ll be useful for people interested in coaching, to get a feel for the type of cost involved, and the different pricing options available.
As ever, I love hearing from you, in the comments or by email. Let me know if you end up doing any of the above, or if you have your own novel approaches to reflecting, planning or slowing down.
‘A dramedy centering around the relationship between a thirtysomething single mother and her teen daughter living in Stars Hollow, Connecticut.’ [IMDB]
I mean wallpaper in a non-derogatory way.
Just to clarify, I’m not saying that watching large volumes of Gilmore Girls is the same as being tuned in with the natural world, although they do have a lot of seasonal outdoor celebrations in the bizarre small town where it’s set.