I'm very happy with the way my 10-Minute Solution is going. I've varied it a little in that I now have to commit to thirty minutes of meditation, writing or exercising a day. I can do any combination of them, as long as the total time spent is the thirty minutes and I cover two of the three.
On Sunday night I sat at my desk with a calendar and set up a tentative schedule for the upcoming week. (I started in earnest on Monday since the weekend was totally lost to reading books.) I did twenty minutes of yoga and ten minutes of meditation. Tuesday I had my writing class, two hours, and then meditated for ten minutes. Today I spent all day revising a story, then had photography class for two hours. I will meditate for ten minutes.
The freedom to choose how I spend the minutes is important. I have a tendency to make rules for myself and then break them - not an admirable tendency, I know - but giving myself choices has motivated me. I may add acceptable things to the list later - my photography classes for instance or other sorts of "improvement behavior" - but for now I'm only going to count the initial three.
Many of the child-rearing books I read when my girls were young pointed out that giving children choices gave them power, and that when they felt powerful they made good choices. I'm reverting to that philosophy for myself, since deep down I tend to act like a rebellious child a lot of the time.
Anyone else want to weigh in on how their resolutions are going?
9 comments:
And again, oddly enough, this posted at 10:10.
Great resolution, Mamie! I am so impressed by the either/or idea. I'm likely to try this too.
My (psychologist) husband used to say to his kids: do you want to go to bed now or in five minutes?
It was very effective.
Even after older boy said to younger boy: are you still falling for that?
Those older sibs have a way of ruining all the best-laid plans!
When my kids were young we went to Tracy Maness, a family therapist, and they would say, "Don't try that 'Tracy Maness' stuff on us!"
I typically don't like making resolutions. However, I've got a few...err..."changes"...that I'd like to implement into my daily routine, going forward. 1-Stop being so concerned about how green the grass is on the other side, and be happy and thankful for what I have, instead of being suckered into things that are "new and improved". 2-Keep a better record of my bank account. 3-Be my true self, be proud of the person I am, and let myself shine in my own unique way, without feeling inferior or insignificant.
:o)
Goddess (I love calling you this!), that third one is a tall order for anyone. Certainly one I would have to do ten minutes at a time. Keep us up on how things are going for you.
Mamie, I'm impressed with your 10 minute resolution!
I have not made any formal resolutions this year, but am trying a much vaguer form of what you're doing, which is that I am trying to make sure that I get some writing time and focused me/horse time in every day, because those are the things I love most, and those are the things most likely to get set aside to keep other things running - like dishwashing, the vacuum cleaner, the laundry, the woodstove and cooking stove, etc.
When my intention works, it works really well - but it's an ongoing issue of balance that I struggle with, less, but it's there.
I keep thinking I will get to the point where every day is me sort of gloriously being. Sometimes it seems that's the easiest thing in the world, and other days not. I'm sure it's all in my head, either way.
(starting to not make sense here, so I will stop...:)
"...Every day is me sort of gloriously being..." I love that, Billie. Needs to be in needlepoint.
Billie, I am so fortunate to have a room where I write, exercise and make cards. It's a space away from all the work, dirt and dust, dishes and laundry. The hard part is walking toward the door, opening it, and going in.
Like Peggy, I want a pillow with that saying. Or maybe I'll go to my room and make some cards with that on it and mail them to you!!
Writing here inspired me. I did a little vacuuming (sorely, desperately needed, as I was walking across the floor picking up twigs on my socks!) Then I made a call to our vet for a consult next week and spent 20 minutes catching up with the receptionist covering everything from grief over the loss of beloved animals to airline passenger profiling to little girls and ponies.
And THEN, I decided I needed to go get the mail, but instead of dashing out and back in again, I put Kyra the Corgi on her purple leash and we took a 10-year old today Corgi girl walk, which included checking the mail. The mystical kit, who loves cold weather, trailed us around like some kind of feline CIA agent.
Thank you for the inspiration. I might still be vacuuming had I not read your blog! :)
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