Every year, just before my birthday, I like to write myself a little letter and set some intentions - how I want to feel, how I want to spend my time and what I would like to achieve. I feel these letters help me to anchor myself on things that matter to me and give me a bit of a direction. But of course, life happens, so I don’t always achieve everything and my perspective often shifts. And that’s the beauty of life - what was important a year ago can always change!
As it is my birthday on the 23rd of June (big 35 would you believe it!! I still feel 19 and saying that makes me feel so old), anyway, I thought it would be fun to review the intentions that I have set for myself last year and see how much things have changed.
I met my 34th birthday in Lake District, camping and paddleboarding on lake Windermere. This is very much my happy place! After the holiday, I was about to start working again after being on furlough for almost 18 months prior. My mindset was definitely very different from where I am now. I was planning to achieve a lot, but going back to work was very challenging for me actually. For many different reasons, let me know if you are interested in more detail and I will talk about it more.
The previous year has been great really, we have bought our first flat, I went to therapy (finally), I started my coaching business and started training as a meditation teacher. Big year for me, so of course I was very excited for the next one! I have set quite a few intentions for myself, so let’s go through them and see where I ended up a year later. I will also mark them out of ten, purely for fun!
Deepening my meditation practice
I finished my training and became a certified meditation teacher, I have recorded a few guided meditations, and I even created a small e-course to teach others to meditate. But I haven’t been very consistent with my meditation practice. Definitely, something I will be working on next year too. I want to get to a place where I meditate every day, instead of two or three times a week, which is better than nothing anyway. Also, I want to record more guided meditations! So watch this place and subscribe to my newsletter so you don’t miss them.
6/10 Started the year strong but got carried away by everyday life.
Grow my spirituality
This is something I don’t tend to talk about often, as I find it hard sometimes as it is so personal. I wouldn’t call myself a religious person but I am definitely spiritual. I align with Buddhism the most probably, and it is something that has always been in my life through my parents. In the last year, I have done a lot of small rituals with tarot cards, especially around the new or full moon, and it is something that I will continue with, as it makes a lot of difference to my wellbeing. I have also been learning more about astrology, which is just fascinating.
Strong 5/10 but want to do even more!
Putting my needs first
This one is a work in progress. Some of the things I have been doing a lot - going on long walks and not feeling guilty to do it during ‘work hours’ sometimes. I am a much nicer person if I allow myself time to recharge and spend time in nature. Often many great ideas come to me while I’m walking. I have also bought a cheap exercise bike and I aim to do a few rides a week - there are tons of free videos on youtube, by the way, don’t even need a fancy subscription. Going to bed early, reading before bed (and not being embarrassed to be in bed by 9 pm).
9/10 I made a lot of progress but definitely will be working on it next year too.
Growing my business
Again, I have made a lot of progress here but the more I achieve, the more ideas I have about what to do next. I have recorded almost 50 episodes by now and interviewed many different people and I am actually surprised by how consistent I have been with my podcast in the last year. I have hundreds of downloads too, which is very reassuring. I have also created an ebook, which I have been procrastinating on for a very long time, so I am very pleased that it is out. I have grown my newsletter a bit (but this is a huge focus for the next year) and I have started showing up more on Instagram as a coach and not just as Jana. And I started the process of getting level 5 qualification in coaching, which I absolutely love.
9/10 I actually can’t believe how consistent I have been with this all way through the year. Next year I am hoping to work with even more coaching clients, if you are interested - get in touch.
Continue to create more
A year before I spent a lot of my time painting but this year I got a new obsession…sewing has entered my life. I got a sewing machine for Christmas and since then I have made around 20 garments. This is one of the most satisfying hobbies in my life and I can’t wait to see what I can create in years to come, as I get better and better.
10/10
Reading books
This is another constant part of my life. For the last few years, I have been very consistent with reading. In 2020 I have read 100 books, in 2021 - 84 and this year I am aiming for at least 75. So that’s something I have managed to keep up with!
9/10 I have taken 1 point because I would like to read more physical books as I can’t stop buying them but keep reading more ebooks…
Collaborating with others
I have reached out to different women and have interviewed 12 people in the last year. Each interview had to be organised and arranged so I have truly pushed my boundaries there. But I would love to collaborate more with others, I am not 100% sure what that would look like, so if you have any ideas - please get in touch.
5/10
Pitching to a magazine
One goal that I wrote down and instantly changed my mind. This one didn’t feel aligned to me at all, so I didn’t work on it and I won’t be carrying it over either.
0/10
I finished my last year’s letter with this - Setting foundations for the year so I can fly the year after. And I think I did just that! Very excited to see what this year brings.