Tiny Bits of Happiness

Getting Intentional with 2020

The word “intention” encourage us to slow down and focus on what’s important to our own hearts. For the entire year of 2020 I have set an outline of “monthly themes” that will help guide each month to focus us and encourage us to be present. There’s power and strength in community and a common mission for living, so I hope you will join along with me. I’ve created ways for us to connect and share our hearts throughout this journey. Be sure to read all the inside scoop and deets below.

let’s focus on bringing more intention to the month of january.

I chose the focus of “intention” for the month of January because it really is the foundation of everything. Intention of our time, energy, focus, love, desire, and so much more. Creating intention and really tapping into what makes our own souls happy (not someone else) really lays the groundwork for 2020 being a year that sets your heart on fire. We just finished up a busy holiday season filled with love, laughter, busy-ness, stress, pressure, comparison, etc. I.e. The holidays are emotional, a bit tiring and sometimes depleting.

So this whole month will be focusing on our intentions within ourselves and our intentions outside of ourselves. How are our intentions with our inner most soul, our time, consumption, environment, and relationships? Maybe part of your intention is taking stock of things you interact with and how it makes you feel. Does it bring you joy? Do you feel depleted after hanging out with that friend or person? Do you get happier every time you hear a certain song? How are you sleeping? Are you decompressing and resting? Are you spending enough time with your loved ones? Do you need to create a little white space? Intentionality also comes with how present we are in our every day lives. Are you enjoying that cup of coffee? Are you going through the motions without seeing the little bits of beauty that are sprinkled throughout your day?

Let’s step back, tune in and cultivate a life that brings joy.

SEVEN AREAS OF LIFE TO INCREASE OUR INTENTION:

Morning Routine
Movement
Nourishment
Consumption
Environment
Rest
Fun

AREA ONE: MORNING ROUTINE

If you follow me on instagram or social media, you know I’m a morning person. I find that if I am intentional with my morning routine it brings focus, peace, joy and happiness for the rest of my day. If you win the morning, you can win the day. Tim Ferris has said that when he was interviewing top CEO’s and humans in the world for his book, “The Tribe of Mentors” one common thread was that they all had a specific morning routine. The morning sets your tone for the day and you need to find a morning routine that works for you. Here are a few key ingredients to mine, but this is only as an example and it’s not the rule.

Wake up Early (My alarm clock goes off between 5:30 and 5:40)
Drink Water and Warm Beverage
Meditate (3-5 minutes is a great place to start. When I have difficulty focusing I listen to ocean waves while I sit and focus on my breath)
Journal (I love the 5-minute Journal. It’s quick, easy, and creates gratitude, focus, and intention for the whole day)
Something for the soul (Sometimes its a quick few minutes on Pinterest, sometimes it’s reading, sometimes its drawing. It can be 5 minutes, but this little blurb of creativity helps me feed my interests)
Movement (I’ve been doing Adriene Mishler’s free “Yoga with Adriene” series and it’s fantastic)

AREA TWO: MOVEMENT

I’d like to think of movement as a way that we are intentionally caring for our bodies and our health with the focus on the word care. For me, I have been focusing on and will continue to focus on the intention of tuning into my body through yoga and connecting breath and movement. Focus on stretching, relaxing, calming, strengthening and just being present with our bodies just as they are. I’d love to intentionally create a little more love around the concept of movement and think of it as an act of caring for ourselves. Maybe for you it’s cycling, or going to spin class, or lifting weights, or running, or zumba. Let’s the goal be on care, love, fun, and connection with the bodies that carry us around and let us do the things we want to do. Let’s find joy in movement and make sure we are fitting it into our daily lives.

AREA THREE: NOURISHMENT

Similar to movement, I am focusing on what I’m doing to nourish and care for my body. Am I eating vegetables? Am I finding joy in the kitchen? Where is my intention to nourish and sustain my body and the hopes I have for her. Maybe it’s slowly eliminating foods that have been triggering or not serving you. Maybe it’s trying new healthy recipes. Again, approaching nourishment with the focus on the intention of caring and nourishing and showing gratitude for what we have.

AREA FOUR: CONSUMPTION

What are you reading, watching, following, admiring ? (or any other verb related to consuming) When you log on social media are you inspired or depleted? Do you feel empowered or depleted? Do the shows you watch bring you happiness or are they bumming you out? Are you reading and filling up your soul with goodness? Maybe this is a time to edit and be intentional with what you let into your life and your heart. This might mean “muting” people who bring you down or deplete your heart. This might mean unfollowing or taking a break from social media. This might mean picking up and reading books that fill you up or inspire you and that don’t stress you out (I think there is a world of trying to do too much self-improvement). This might mean seeking out community that lifts you up. This might even mean creating something you desire to consume.

This is also a great time to create playlists to support your moods. Man, I don’t know about you, but music has the ability to calm me, jazz me up, inspire me, or console me. Spotify is a great resource to create playlists and share playlists with others. (P.s. comment below with some of your favorite songs and I am going to start compiling playlists for the whole Tiny Bits community! Let’s lift each other up and serenade each other while we’re at it.)

AREA FIVE: ENVIRONMENT

CLEAN UP

I believe you get energy from your home or the physical places that surround you. This is a good time to get intentional and take stock of what you own and assess how it’s serving you. Maybe clear off some shelves, go through your books, reassess your closet, actually take the donation pile to the donation center. This is also a time to reflect in how you are caring for your environment. Showing care for our environment and belongings can be done with intentional tidying and cleaning. One of my favorite books, The Clean Mama, lays out a weekly cleaning routine that can be done in about 10-minutes per day.

BEAUTIFUL & FUNCTIONAL

This is also time to get tune into our surroundings and set ourselves up for an environment that inspires us, fills us, let’s us rest, and will care for us throughout the next year (and beyond). Assess to see how your environments in your home are functioning. Do you have to drape your coat over a chair or throw it somewhere every day? Maybe put up coat hooks and set up better flow and function with your space. Where do piles and clutter keep creeping up? The book, The Organized Home by Remodelista, shook and changed my view on organization, function, while also picking materials that are beautiful and kind to mother earth.

MOTHER NATURE

One last thing, have you assessed how your actions are impacting the environment (as in mother nature)? Do you get 15 plastic bags every time you go to the grocery stores and use ziplock bags for everything? I’d encourage you intentionally observe your day and see where there are a few ways you can reduce your footprint on mother nature. My Stojo cup travels with me in my purse and it has been a lifesaver while I’m out. I love this french looking market tote and it stores all my other canvas and produce bags in my car. I carry it like a purse while grocery shopping and it is always prepared to go. Food52 has this badass straw kit that can attach to any bag to let you have a straw accessible when you need it, or just forgo a straw all together. For packing food, I opt to use Tupperware, Bees Wax Wrap, and Stasher bags in place of ziplock bags. I’ve swapped out my plastic bottle of shampoo for a bar of shampoo that is seriously amazing. I’m by no means perfect, but these little changes have reduced the unnecessary plastic and waste I was producing in my daily living. It is a goal of mine to learn more and take baby steps to improve for 2020. Some great social media accounts to follow are Zero Waste Collective, Package Free Shop, Trash is for Tossers are just a few to get you started.

AREA SIX: REST

The key to nailing your morning routine, is making sure you are resting which often comes with a night routine. It might mean cutting back liquids before bed, taking a bath, reading and limiting screen time, making sure your sleeping environment is working in your benefit. Do you need light blocking shades? I love to wash my face an hour before bed and have everything ready to go for the morning (to help with that early wakeup time and morning routine, y’all!). I typically try and read 30 minutes before bed and if I really need coaxing to sleep, I’ll read something in the Nonfiction family.

Of course rest doesn’t have to only come at night. This might mean disconnecting from technology and closing your eyes for five minutes during the day. Or this might mean making sure you are taking a walk, stepping away from work & stressors and taking time to specifically relax. I love that yoga allows me to rest, while also incorporating movement. It’s a two for one. Maybe you need to create some more “white space” or “margins” and not over scheduling yourself. Rest might even be unscheduled time. Be intentional and tune in, are you resting enough? How can you improve? What kind of rest are you craving?

AREA SEVEN: FUN

How are you doing with the intention of cultivating joy and fun in your life? What activities/things are you seeking out to bring joy or try something new or do something fun? This may overlap with movement by getting out for a walk, or consumption by things you are reading, creating or connecting with. Maybe this means taking that workshop you’ve been eyeing. Maybe this is intentionally creating or scheduling quality time with friends and loved ones. Or seeking out new recipes to try and having some fun in the kitchen. Maybe it means scheduling a little day trip and seeking out some beauty near your home. Whatever it is, be conscious of joy and make sure you are incorporating it into your life. We all need some fun.

Let’s rally together for 2020

I’m a big believer in the power of community being an amazing incentive for accountability. I’ll be doing an Instagram Live this week on Thursday at 7:30 CT (8:30 ET) to discuss how we can focus on intention for the month of January together. I’d like to think of this as an elevated bookclub where we come together, talk about topics, talk about life, and rally around each other and level up together. Although, we can definitely chat about books— this month I’ll be reading “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson.

I also would love to be part of your daily practices to incorporate more intention into your 2020! Use the hashtag #tinybits2020crew . I’d love to think of this as a gathering space (just like a bookclub), where resources can be available, suggestions can be made, favorites can be shared, inspiration can be gifted, and souls can be supported. Down below I’ll share my favorite books and I’d love for you to share yours in the comments— Music that inspires you, Podcasts that motivate, Books that changed the game, the best pair of socks ever— It’s all welcome in the name of intentionally tuning in and loving our life.

Hugs to Intention kicking off the start of our 2020,

Mere