My goodness, it’s February already. I feel like it was only yesterday that I hung out with friends to celebrate new year’s eve. But here I am, doing a January review.
Many things happened in January. I celebrated New Year and Chinese New Year, visited Bali (again) for a week, ran a workshop and taught my first ever yoga class.
Even though I am reflecting on my month and wondering how time flew by ever so quickly, I realised that hey, it was a pretty amazing month. I got to spend time with my loved ones and friends and I also managed to push myself out of my comfort zone by conducting a workshop and going diving at a shipwreck in Tulamben.
By asking myself a set of questions and then journalling the answers down, I realised that I have many things to be grateful for and also many things that I can work on next month. So here are the questions I asked myself for my January review, if you’re interested too.
What is one word to describe the past month?
For me, the first word that popped into my head was anchoring. Strange word, but according to the dictionary, anchoring is to provide with a firm basis or foundation. I guess that word is suitable to describe my month.
As the first year of 2020, I was trying to set up good habits and routines for work and my daily life. I was playing around with organisation, timetables and systems; trying to figure out what would work best for me. It was also a month where I was trying to find my footing in work and life, and trying to gain a foothold in order to continue to pursue my goals.
What did I do to work towards my goals?
We all have specific goals and if we don’t review them, our goals may never be achieved/may not seem achievable. Have you ever reviewed your actions and realised that your actions had already brought you one or two steps closer to your goals, without you even realising it? It may seem small, but one step is better than nothing. We have to be our own cheerleaders, sometimes! Here are some of mine:
1. Daily morning yoga practice
I want to become stronger and do the poses with better form, with the end goal of teaching it well in the future. There are days where I just don’t want to be on the mat, but setting it up the night before really helps.
2. Going to the gym and using the Aflete App
I have always wanted to buy a work out guide from Hanna Öberg. So when she had a sale and planned to donate the profits to help the Australia fires, I got one. I bought the Get Lean, Stay Healthy guide and have started using it in the gym.
It is intense and while I am struggling (and sometimes dreading it), I know I am only getting stronger and leaner with time. As someone who wants to be even more confident of her body, I know that getting myself to the gym is definitely one right step to take.
3. Meal prep more meatless dishes
After watching documentaries such as The Game Changer, Cowspiracy, What The Health and Forks Over Knives, I made a mental note to reduce my intake of meat and animal products. This is something that I never thought I would do. Back then, I wasn’t exposed to anything that contradicted the beliefs that meat is necessary for a healthy lifestyle.
Trying to go meatless in Singapore is not exactly the easiest, and the safest bet is to meal prep it myself. I’ve been finding tons of vegan inspiration online and have been trying out vegan recipes. Having them ready to go in the fridge really helped in my attempt to reduce my intake!
What is one thing I’ve learnt?
Ironically, it’s what I’ve been preaching to my kids whenever they have to write their compositions. Be extremely specific and plan everything in detail!
I have a list of goals, a calendar, and a to do list. But sometimes, just writing the goals and things to do don’t really help. I realised that I need to plan them in much greater detail and with more specificity. For quite a few days in January, I tend to wake up feeling restless, aimless and bored. It’s like I know I have things to do, but my brain just either doesn’t comprehend them or is overwhelmed by them. So the procrastination occurs. My brain will come up with excuses and I either half-ass it, or skip it altogether.
So, I learnt that in February, I have to really plan my goals to the nitty, gritty. Step by step. And schedule everything into my calendar, instead of just having a to do list.
How did I feel?
It’s difficult to really categorise our feelings sometimes, but by reflecting on how we feel and why, we can definitely improve our daily lives.
One emotion I definitely felt this month was that of empowerment.This was especially so when I completed our Flowing into 2020 Workshop! It was something I never thought I could do, but I did it. Empowerment also came when I managed to wake up really early on some days (without snoozing) or walking out of the gym after a kick ass workout.
What are some habits I would like to continue in February?
- Drinking my green smoothie in the morning
- Using the Aflete app in the gym
- Daily morning yoga practice
- Meal prep of meatless meals
- Writing in my 5 minute journal daily
- Planning my day (I currently use Todoist, along with my BUJO)
What are some habits I would like to start in February?
- STOP FRICKIN’ SNOOZING (wrote it with some angst and in caps when I did my reflection, so felt it was app to do it here too as a reminder)
- Plan my day in detail (instead of just having a list)
- Read for 10 minutes in bed at night
- Start using a physical alarm clock instead of my phone
So there we have my monthly review for January! If you feel like these questions are useful for you too, I’ve created a mini guidebook which you can fill up and download it here : January Monthly Review Guidebook
Sending you love and positive vibes,
