Create a to-enjoy-list instead of a to-do-list
The first month of the year is nearly over and I would love to explore the topic of goal setting with you.
I don’t know how it is for you but I love to take on a challenge and set myself goals and yes, I have to admit I did make new year’s resolutions.
It makes me feel excited and motivated and I often go all in, in a head-over-heels-dive-in-style like I used to call it.
That was my list I came up with on New Year’s Day:
- 10K steps every day
- Writing 800 words every day
- Eating less sugar
- 15 min of reading a book
- Meditating every day and wait,
- I want to swim 1 million meter in 2023 as a preparation for the English Channel ( this one intrigued me the most and I’m still on track with: In January I swam 86.150m so far, that’s an average of 2.970m )
You’re probably guessing where this all went.
This schedule didn’t survive the first week of the year. I should have known better and guess what, it not only stressed me out but also made me feel bad about myself.
So I wondered how you can get goal setting a lot easier, more enjoyable, with less stress, in a way that doesn’t make you feel overwhelmed or depleted at the end of the day.
And these are the thoughts I came up with:
I would love to do a to-enjoy-list challenge
The ‚to-enjoy-list‘ Challenge
I want to do a challenge that brings you closer to your dreams and goals , that helps you to develop an inspired daily routine that fills you with joy and energy and on the other side doesn’t overwhelm you and doesn’t feed the hustle culture.
There are so many productivity hacks out there at the moment that want you to go bigger, faster, higher, more, that’s trying to burn you out, treating you like a machine, that makes you feel like a complete failure when you don’t get all the things and to-do-lists done.
But do we have to be part of this hustle culture to get things accomplished? Do we have to stress out our minds and bodies to achieve our goals? Is there even a how-to-strategy out there that fits what we want to achieve?
As someone who is too much in the head, having problems with focusing on one target at a time, has to deal with anxiety and gets overwhelmed easily I want to find another way. A way that feels more aligned to what my body and mental health needs, a way that feels aligned with my heart’s dreams and with my creative soul’s nature.
Life gets messy and there’s always something in the way, even if it’s only the thoughts in our head and a fragile mindset.
I want to address these problems that leave me so often insecure and want to give up on my goals.
But I know that my heart is stronger and guides me to keep going but in a way that feels more joyful and at ease.
So what if you can approach your day with joyful anticipation, having a list of things that you enjoy doing, a list of things that you love to check off?
What if you can change your daily chores in a way that lets you do them with more ease and serenity?
There is a way and it requires one thing: You have to believe and trust in your first tiny step. The first step that your heart wants you to go.
Then everything will fall into its place.
But you might ask how to do this. This is what I want to do with you in this challenge: creating a daily routine inspired by the heart, a daily routine that connects you to ease and joy and gets you at the same time closer to your dreams and goals.
These are the main takeaways for creating a to-enjoy-list:
- Becoming clear on what you really love doing, on what gives you joy and reflecting what other benefits it might bring into your life.
- Be open about where it might lead you. It’s not about ticking off the boxes of your list. Have courage to dream big and set yourself goals that get you out of your comfort zone but make you feel joyful and excited at the same time.
- Having your big goal or dream, now it’s time to break it into small steps. What are your capacities, what is doable for you without making you feel stressed and burned out. It’s true when they say it’s about the journey, every single step counts and will bring you closer to your dream.
- Celebrate every milestone. Look back from time to time and see how far you have come even with tiny steps every day.
- Life is messy sometimes and will get in the way of your daily routines. Don’t be discouraged, think of a plan B you can put in place when xyz happens. You are in it for the long run. How can you reward yourself when you get it done? What can you look forward to after you have done the task?
- It’s good to have support from friends or a community of like minded people. They can help you get back on track, get problems solved or just be there with you and bring fun into your life while you are going on a challenge together.
- Take a pause from time to time. Make this a habit however this might look like for you, maybe it’s listening to your favorite music, going on a walk, reading a book, just enjoying your tea or coffee in the morning and simply having a nap. Put these little moments on your to-enjoy-list, put it in your calendar, it’s the most important thing to do in our busy lives.
- Starting your day is a huge point when we talk about goal setting. Start your day with something you enjoy. That can be really simple. Maybe you like sitting quietly and enjoying your breakfast, maybe you like 10 minutes of journaling or reading something that inspires you or you like to meditate or do yoga. Whatever you do please make sure that it makes you feel good. Don’t read the fear mongering news first thing in the morning or something that separates you from connecting to yourself like work emails, your to-do-list, scrolling through your phone etc.
I would love to take this challenge with you in our heartfelt livelifelikeanocean community.
It will be a 7 day challenge and will start on February 13th 2023 and we will do it in a fun and easy way, just something that makes you feel accomplished but also relaxed and joyful at the same time.
Come and join us for the to-enjoy-list challenge: