Monday Priorities

Monday is my day to reset for the week and get my ducks in a row - make some plans for health and home, and how I will step up for the Natural Living Challenge.

We are in the First Quarter Moon phase, one-quarter of the way through the moon cycle. The moon is waxing - getting larger - until it's full again. The First Quarter is yang, a time to take decisive and smart action on my intentions; a time to remain flexible, use my obstacles as fuel for growth, and show full effort for priorities. I use this October quarter moon's energy to simplify and hone down my life.

Agenda:

1. Read "The Achievement Habit"

2. Review my priorities

3. Health habits

4. Giving each thing a home

1. Read "The Achievement Habit":

I'm reading from this book by Bernard Roth (2015), subtitled "Stop Wishing, Start Doing, and Take Command of Your Life". This is a book about "design thinking", applied to achieving goals in your life. It's due, so I'm going to skim and sum up the last chapters:

Chapter 8 is Self Image by Design. The last section is about death, and how people go about it. Thinking about what I would do if I had minutes or days to live I know that my top priority is time with family, and my second is to write down the wisdom I've learned.

"There are many factors at play in determining your self-image, and you can shape and redesign that image at will whenever it doesn't suit you. ... You can make a decision right now to see yourself differently, and then become different."

2. Review my priorities:

The days after the First Quarter Moon are a time for purposeful, focused action, with integrity and discernment. Today is a good time to review my priorities and (looking at this month's intentions) choose the top actions for the next month.

I have lots of things in lots of categories that I do every day, but which of those are priorities now in my life? I only have so much time each day, so I hope to give priority to the activities and people that matter most to me right now. 

My priorities are fluid; they change with the seasons and with my responsibilities. Today I ask myself:

-Which of my priorities have gotten the least attention this last month and why? 

-What seasonal focus and upcoming events are priorities now?

-What are my important responsibilities this month?

-What upcoming activities give me the biggest rewards?

-What would I do this month if I knew I only had 6 months to live?

-What activities best support my beliefs and values?

-Where do my strengths lie?

From my Journal: This next 3 weeks is heavily family and home-focused, with halloween and house projects. Clerking and ECEF are also priorities. I also need to keep steady effort on the garden as fall unrolls. My inner focus is to become more self-confident and calm.

After some thought, this is my slate of priorities: 

1. Family: Steady flow of play and learning + Halloween projects, Game Night, and Ken.
2. Self: Self-confidence, flow 
3. Community: Clerking and ECEF - banner-making, business meeting, elections, and a clerk's gathering 
4. Home: Paint the front; Finish the deck roof; Clear the house; Hall door project
5. Writing: Regenerative gardening and Honorable harvest
6. Creative projects: Christmas gifts, watercolors
7. Garden: Mulching, harvest and preservation
8. Earthcare: News for EC + IFEK calendar, + future theme and plans (Thanksgiving reading)

3. Health habits:

This whole year I've worked at building better health habits, and a routine flow that brings me to them consistently. I started out with chair yoga routines, and then the Stand Strong cycle. Now I really feel like I want to loose just a little weight, and at the same time increase my muscle.

The main advice I find is to:

• eat 25-30 grams of protein at each meal
• cut out processed foods, especially sugar
• move for at least 20 minutes per day (walking, etc) for cardiovascular fitness
• have at least two days a week of resistance training for muscular strength

Weekly exercise cycle ideas:

• Sun.- Day off
• M- 20 min. dance routine
• T- Feet, ankles, knees + 20 min. walk
• W- 20 min. dance routine
• Th- Hips and back + 20 min. walk
• F- 20 min. dance routine
• Sat.- Core + 20 min. walk

Daily diet ideas: This week's tiny step - add more protein to each meal (20 grams = 2 eggs,1 c. yogurt, 1 chicken thigh, 1 c. cooked lentils, 100 gr. smoked salmon).

4. Giving Each Thing a Home:
I'm still working to find a zen balance of order that feels good. I have asked myself "Why am I holding on to so much stuff - how can I make letting go super easy? How can I make sorting fun again?"

My current clearing plan is to tackle one room-clearing task, one outdoor-clearing task and one studio task each week. This week I plan to:

• Kitchen: Food and jars
• Outside: Clear the pallet and other junk from back garden
• Studio: Clear tool cabinet and peg board

My weekly rhythm + extras is:

• M: Deep dive in kitchen - food and jars
• T: Recycling + plastic bags
• W: Green - palette, etc.
• Th: Sort linens, clothes, coats                                                       
• F: Deep dive in studio - tool cabinet and peg board
• Sat: Refrigerator          
• Sun: In-basket, papers, books