Tis the season to be jolly, right! The constant hustle and the extra “to dos” that the holiday season brings, there is no doubt your joy and passion can feel like it’s been sucked out of you. But you better believe the holidays will put you in a position where you’ll want to pull out the boundary card. The holidays make for fertile training grounds to get clear on what your boundaries are and practice exercising your mind to execute upon them!
You may be thinking how can I possibly add something else to my plate, but creating and implementing boundaries isn’t another thing “to do.” Think of it as energy. It is merely observing yourself and moving in a direction that feels good to you! It is the courageous act of discovering yourself, what you need, and acting on it, often times forcing you to address people-pleasing tendencies. Navigating in a direction that suits you naturally raises your vibe and attracts more passion into your life, even though it may not be what someone else expects of you. The more you practice doing it, the easier it becomes. When you fail to implement your boundaries, you are choosing to neglect your own needs and true desires. This serves nobody because it prevents your passions from discovering you and from serving others at your highest capacity.
My company, Mind Muscle Motivator, is a transformational wellness company that helps busy driven women exercise their mind to connect with their heart. Dealing with the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life, people forget to check in with themselves throughout the day. Each day get into the habit of exercising your mind to connect with your body to determine where your energy stands. Bonus points if you can check in multiples times a day! How you feel will fluctuate, which will affect what boundaries you implement. But step one is to always check in with yourself to know what boundary card to pull and what direction you are destined to head.
In my recent book, Reclaim Your Power: A Guide To Allow Your Passions & Purpose Discover YOU! I share how to get clear about who you are and what you want so that you can add more passion to your life. Here are three helpful steps to assess your energy so you can set your boundaries this holiday season.
- Discover your energy patterns. Before you create any boundary spend a week taking inventory of your energy. These could be quick notes you write down throughout the day in a journal or simple texts you send to yourself about how you are feeling. Ask yourself, how do I feel when I first get up compared to later in the afternoon? Do certain people or foods change your vibe? Perhaps you discover that a certain relative or that sweets drain your energy. Understanding your patterns allows you develop clear and intentional boundaries. For example, if you find that a person or food depletes your energy your boundary could be to completely eliminate it or take it in moderation. If boundaries are a new thing for you, or it feels uncomfortable to move in a direction that may let others down, start small and exercise your mind daily to follow through with small things. The more you exercise the boundary muscle the stronger it will become.
- Tis the season to make time for what brings you joy! As you go about your day this holidays season, notice what you are drawn to. Is there something specific you feel called to do? Maybe it is cutting down a live Christmas tree or simply choosing not to decorate this year. Do you find yourself envious of someone else? What is that person doing? Use it as a sign that it may be a direction you consider and make space for this holiday season! You know those people you find yourself grinning at. The ones who are obnoxiously dressed up for the holidays season or that family with the matching pajamas. Perhaps this year is your year! You never know where your high-vibe passionate state will take you.
- Stay curious and get out of your comfort zone! Just like life, insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. So this holiday season shake things up a bit. More than likely your schedule looks different compared to other months. You may find that you have time off work so use it to your advantage and disrupt your normal. Follow what feels exciting, yet at the same time may scare you! By doing this it will allow unexpected passion into your life.
At the end of the day, finding happiness and your true passions is an inside job. Exploring and adhering to your own boundaries is one of the fastest ways to allow your passions to discover you. Though it is easy to let others 'opinions steer you in the wrong direction, remind yourself that it’s ok to say no. Think of yourself as a tree. Stay grounded in who you are and what you want and flow where you are meant to go. There is no better time of year to start exercising your mind, connecting with your body, and start discovering and implementing your boundaries so that you can live with more passion and clarity.
