How to create your ideal day

September already!

I’ve been staring out the window at the pelting rain today feeling like the lovely long summer we’ve been enjoying has suddenly been switched off! While I’m a small bit sad that the daylight is shifting and I haven’t yet finished weeding my garden, I’m also looking forward to the feeling of introspection that I find comes with the deepening colours of the leaves and their imminent shedding – I like to take this time to reflect on what has passed and look inward to lay the foundations for the possibilities I want to unfurl.

To help get me into the zone I use the concept of the Ideal Day Map. I’d like to invite you to try it out too.

Set yourself up with a quiet space, a really nice pen and your favourite notebook or journal (or simply a blank sheet of paper). This is a completely aspirational exercise so think big! It’s surprising what you will learn about yourself and what’s important for you to work towards by thinking waaaay outside the box and letting go of the reality check.

Be selfish! It’s natural to feel like you have to limit yourself “I couldn’t possibly spend 3 hours doing …” Try it anyway. It’s you being true to yourself; getting into your flow; opening yourself up to the possibility of what you can do in your life and how you need to take care of yourself to get there. Allow your mind to go there. How would you love to feel in your body? How would you love your life to be?

Start imagining this most amazing day. Use these prompts to help you shape it:

• How do you want to spend your time? What are the 5-6 things that really matter to you?

• Who are the people who are in that day?

• What kind of work are you doing?

• How are you feeding yourself? Where are you when you eat?

• How much exercise do you get that day?

• How much sleep do you have?

• How much time do you want to spend on your own? What does your ‘me time’ involve’?

• How much time do you want to spend with your kids? What are you doing? How are you interacting together?

• What’s your level of energy or motivation?

• What do you hear, see or smell in this amazing day?

Now here’s the piece where you take your first step to bring it into your reality - identify one SMALL thing you could change in your day today to get you moving towards this vision and take action on it.

I’d love to hear what came up for you and what first step you’ve taken towards the vision! Drop me a line to let me know: maija@foundationhealth.ie.