Coming off a week full of practicing gratitude feels so good. Gratitude is one of those practices that’s accessible and available to us all at any time and it’s such a potent practice when you make it part of your daily self-care routine. Getting to share gratitude with others amplifies its effect, which is why I love my family’s annual tradition of sharing what we’re grateful for before feasting on delicious food.
I’m glad that energy is overflowing as I head into the next little annual ritual I have with myself. Around this time of the year I do a little self audit. Our Mend Training “Pieces of the Pie” guides you through this exercise (see below), but essentially it’s a check-in that invites you to reflect on how you feel you’re doing in different areas of life. It’s done in a really visual way too so you can actually see the areas you may want to improve on.
As I’ve started reflecting on the pieces of the pie in my life, what’s stood out the most is that my friendships could use a little more nurturing. The past few months I haven’t dedicated nearly as much time as I’d like to spending quality time with my friends. I could come up with a bunch of excuses for why I haven’t connected as much with my friends, but those are just that, excuses. Relationships require intention and effort, even friendships. So although there’s been a lot going on for me personally (when don’t we have a lot going on?), I could still make more of an effort. It’s an area of improvement for me and one I look forward to working on over the next few months.
Completing the pieces of the pie exercise is just the beginning. Once you identify an area you’d like to focus some time and energy on, you move on to creating a plan for how you’ll make that happen. As for nurturing my friendships, I’m committing to having at least one girls’ night a month. When you devise your plan, start with actions that are doable. Oftentimes we fall off our plans because they’re too lofty for what we can actually commit to. So start small and work your way up.
I love this self audit exercise because it allows me to pivot my energy toward areas of life that are in need of my attention. Life gets hectic, we get swept up in our everyday responsibilities and routines, and if we don’t make space to reflect on how we’re using our time and energy, it can very easily get used up in ways that don’t support our best self. Doing this exercise either quarterly or every six months is a good idea. It’s also a great exercise to do before getting started on a vision board because you’re able to see what exactly you’d like to manifest more of in your life.
I hope that as you dig into this exercise, you’re able to find areas of opportunity that you’re excited to work on. We all have them! Share them with us in the chat!
With love,
Kat
🎧 Mend Training
Pieces Of The Pie
Grab a pen and paper. Today we're going to do an exercise together that will help you visualize your life and where to focus your goals.