Email 7
💃 Stopping and starting on a micro basis
Welcome to the 7th installment of the Stop and Start series! There are about 6 more of this to go. We are officially half way!
I am so happy to have spent this time with you.
I often wonder how I have helped you in any way, so please feel free to hit reply and let me know what's on your mind. 🙂
This week we are talking about stopping and starting on a micro basis.
For me, this means, stopping and starting at various moments during the day. It doesn't necessarily have to be every hour or every minute. It could be during times when you realize that you've strayed too far away with your thoughts. Shifting your thoughts to those that serve you can really be an awesome inner guide.
I'm guilty of not stopping and starting throughout the day, though. I get lost in whatever shiny object is in front of me and I forget my intentions. I forget to be mindful.
Mindfulness is a key thing in stopping and starting projects.
Being mindful means you know whether it's right to continue or it's time to stop and start something that leads you closer to the direction of the person you want to become.
And mindfulness takes time and practice. Even years of meditation cannot guarantee a mindful, serene demeanor all the time.
But at each moment, you can ask yourself what you can improve on and how you can have more fun along the way. 😃
These things help me in achieving just that:
🧠 Mindset shifts
Whenever I find that I'm thinking too negatively or even too positively to the point of fantasy, I try to stop and ground myself into reality.
I try not to shame myself for whatever I was thinking or doing or being.
I then try to shift my mindset into that of compassion, kindness, and abundance.
And if it involves another party or person, I try to think about the best intention that they have and, if they don't, then I try to think about what it could teach me. That is, it could teach me how to respond or whether to respond to them the next time.
🎨 Visual things
It sometimes helps to have something visual right in front of me to remind whether I am on the right track or not. It could be a reminder I wrote for myself weeks ago or a quote that motivates me throughout the day. The visual cue serves as a trigger for me to start shifting my thoughts.
🎵 Music
One of the best inventions of mankind is music. It always teleports me to a particular moment. Especially hip hop. It always boosts my confidence.
🏃🏻 Movement
When things feel a little too stale, you can also try moving your body. Movement doesn't always have to means strenuous exercise. Getting up from your seat or desk and shaking your body (or booty) can do wonders. Personally, I have been learning to twerk these. No, seriously! 😂
🧑🏻🤝🧑🏻 Connection and conversation
If you live with someone, it's good to break the silence with conversation too. Maybe try to be interested on what the other is doing or think out loud to them about a problem you're trying to solve. Just make sure that you both keep a safe space to air out whatever is on your mind.
If all else fails, just do the fun thing first. I'm not a big fan of the rewards system because I easily get bored. But if I do the fun things first, I become even more inspired to work at whatever is before me.
Then lastly, how can you evaluate today? How were you feeling on a moment to moment basis? Did you learn something in those moments? Did you try something new?
What stopping and starting really is is knowing that challenges may come and you may become prone to resisting and feeling contracted at times, but you are still able to accept the reality of life's challenges and you can still become the person you want to be in any situation.
It doesn't have to take a day, a week, or a year to stop in your tracks and start being that person. You can become that person now, in this moment.
A moment to moment basis.
A moment to moment kind of transformation.
I hope you have a lovely Monday.
Take care,
Elaine 💘
I am so happy to have spent this time with you.
I often wonder how I have helped you in any way, so please feel free to hit reply and let me know what's on your mind. 🙂
This week we are talking about stopping and starting on a micro basis.
For me, this means, stopping and starting at various moments during the day. It doesn't necessarily have to be every hour or every minute. It could be during times when you realize that you've strayed too far away with your thoughts. Shifting your thoughts to those that serve you can really be an awesome inner guide.
I'm guilty of not stopping and starting throughout the day, though. I get lost in whatever shiny object is in front of me and I forget my intentions. I forget to be mindful.
Mindfulness is a key thing in stopping and starting projects.
Being mindful means you know whether it's right to continue or it's time to stop and start something that leads you closer to the direction of the person you want to become.
And mindfulness takes time and practice. Even years of meditation cannot guarantee a mindful, serene demeanor all the time.
But at each moment, you can ask yourself what you can improve on and how you can have more fun along the way. 😃
These things help me in achieving just that:
🧠 Mindset shifts
Whenever I find that I'm thinking too negatively or even too positively to the point of fantasy, I try to stop and ground myself into reality.
I try not to shame myself for whatever I was thinking or doing or being.
I then try to shift my mindset into that of compassion, kindness, and abundance.
And if it involves another party or person, I try to think about the best intention that they have and, if they don't, then I try to think about what it could teach me. That is, it could teach me how to respond or whether to respond to them the next time.
🎨 Visual things
It sometimes helps to have something visual right in front of me to remind whether I am on the right track or not. It could be a reminder I wrote for myself weeks ago or a quote that motivates me throughout the day. The visual cue serves as a trigger for me to start shifting my thoughts.
🎵 Music
One of the best inventions of mankind is music. It always teleports me to a particular moment. Especially hip hop. It always boosts my confidence.
🏃🏻 Movement
When things feel a little too stale, you can also try moving your body. Movement doesn't always have to means strenuous exercise. Getting up from your seat or desk and shaking your body (or booty) can do wonders. Personally, I have been learning to twerk these. No, seriously! 😂
🧑🏻🤝🧑🏻 Connection and conversation
If you live with someone, it's good to break the silence with conversation too. Maybe try to be interested on what the other is doing or think out loud to them about a problem you're trying to solve. Just make sure that you both keep a safe space to air out whatever is on your mind.
If all else fails, just do the fun thing first. I'm not a big fan of the rewards system because I easily get bored. But if I do the fun things first, I become even more inspired to work at whatever is before me.
Then lastly, how can you evaluate today? How were you feeling on a moment to moment basis? Did you learn something in those moments? Did you try something new?
What stopping and starting really is is knowing that challenges may come and you may become prone to resisting and feeling contracted at times, but you are still able to accept the reality of life's challenges and you can still become the person you want to be in any situation.
It doesn't have to take a day, a week, or a year to stop in your tracks and start being that person. You can become that person now, in this moment.
A moment to moment basis.
A moment to moment kind of transformation.
I hope you have a lovely Monday.
Take care,
Elaine 💘