Mindful Monday V1

Happy Monday and welcome to my very first Mindful Monday post! Eeee!

I’ve been toying with the idea of starting a series like this for a while, and I kept putting it off because I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do with it. Would I just chat about what’s on my mind? Or should I offer a mantra? Would I answer reader questions? And then I realized this overanalyzing is exactly what my first #MindfulMonday post should be about. Which led me to my favorite Amy Poehler quote ever, pictured above ??

Do things before you’re “Ready”

Even though I was inspired to talk about this because of this series, it applies to so many other aspects of our lives, in so many different ways. Obviously, it could apply to trying something you’ve literally NEVER attempted before. I always think of workouts in this scenario. Never tried yoga? Why do you have to be “ready”? Just try it and see what happens! (It’s only yoga!)

On the other hand, maybe you’ve been prepping for something for a long time. In this case, I think about my relationship with blogging. I’m working on a post to elaborate on this – but the bottom line is this. I worked very hard to be super prepared when I made the decision to go full time… and yet I still had a moment of panic. Am I ready?! I literally had to think about my inspirations (yes, Amy Poehler/Leslie Knope are on that list!), and tell myself that YES, I CAN do it! And if something requires me to shift, at least I tried and I learned something about myself.

But alas, there’s also a vague place in the middle. You might be thinking that you don’t have any big decisions to make – and the small ones don’t matter. So this doesn’t apply to you, right? But judging by all of the comments on last night’s instagram about eating alone, I’d say that most of you know that small decisions can make an impact on you.

Think to yourself:

When was the last time you tried something that you didn’t know you’d be good at? Or is there something you are afraid of because you don’t know what the outcome will be (cough dating cough)? Is there anything that you’ve always wanted to do – from trying solidcore to applying for grad schools – but you’ve been holding back for some reason?

Last year, my friend signed up for the Chicago Marathon even though she wasn’t a runner at all. It’s just something she’s always wanted to do. And you know what? She might try to help you be a little more prepared than she was (?), but she ran the damn thing. I’m not saying that you should say yes to EVERYTHING or override your gut intuition or never prepare yourself. But I do think there’s power in taking a look at your choices and being honest about them. And if you’re teetering between going for something and not, maybe give yourself a little extra nudge this week.

And before I let you go…

I’d LOVE to hear your feedback about this series. Do you like this stream-of-consciousness style post? Are you digging the quote aspect? Maybe you’d like me to answer specific questions from you guys? Or offer simple mantras and affirmations that you can take with you throughout the week? Any feedback is helpful! Thanks in advance, friends!

PS. You might also like How to Deal with Negativity, What Does A Healthy Work/Life Balance Mean, and Why I’m Glad I Lived By Myself.