Yesterday I wrote about setting aside time to celebrate and reward yourself after completing a goal. It’s so important to pat yourself on the back before moving onto the next task.  =&0=& =&1=& =&2=& Melissa from the wonderful Bubby and Bean brought this up, and it inspired me to write today’s post about doing just that!  How often do you find yourself working on a project and either just racing to get through it so you can check it off the list or find yourself spacing out and not really able to stay in the moment and enjoy the act of actually doing it?  And this goes for any type of project – creating, cleaning, working, errands, cooking, etc.  The next time you are working on a project, try to stay mindful and present while you are doing it. Instead of thinking about the outcome or the next project or what’s for dinner or how much laundry you have to do – just stay with it and really be aware of that moment. 
Enjoy yourself and find joy in creating or working or just doing.

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We all set goals for ourselves and work really hard to complete them.  We do all of the necessary steps – we plan, we take action, and we complete them.  And it feels great!  And what do we usually do next?  We move onto the next goal or the next project.  And do all of the necessary steps – we plan, we take action, and we complete it.  And this continues throughout each day – throughout our lives.  And then something eventually happens where we start to feel resentful of what seems like a neverending pile of goals, and tasks, and “to dos.” However, if we simply took time after completing each task to congratulate ourselves, celebrate our accomplishments, and reward ourselves – we would be much more likely to start each new task with renewed excitement.  And the best part is that you get to choose how to celebrate!   You can simply acknowledge a job well done. You can finally take that well-deserved break that you have been pushing back. You can put your feet up and read a good book. You can go out for a celebration dinner with your family and friends. You can take the rest of the day off. You can take that vacation that you definitely deserve. As a motivator for completing your goal, you can even decide on the celebration ahead of time. This will definitely keep you on task and moving forward with your plans.  =&1=& Simply following through and completing a goal is enough of a reward. And acknowledging this accomplishment is oftentimes all we need.  But there is also nothing wrong with celebrating in bigger ways. So the next time you set a goal for yourself, try setting a reward or a way to celebrate after reaching your goal as well.  And then make sure you follow through and actually complete your goal and your celebration. You are definitely worth it, and you definitely deserve it! P.S. – We are the featured member this week on the Etsy Blog Team! You can read our interview here! Thank you so much! 🙂

I love choosing one of our Soulful Journals and randomly picking a writing prompt. Today’s question comes from our Journaling Further Within book: =&0=& =&1=& =&2=& =&3=& =&4=& =&5=& =&6=& It could be for a number of reasons: Maybe you were comfortable with how things were going in your life.  Maybe the unknown is scary – even if you know that the unknown is a good thing. Maybe you feel that you aren’t really worthy of this good news or good fortune. Maybe you are afraid that now you will have no excuses – nothing is standing in the way between you and your own happiness.  Maybe you are waiting for the bubble to burst or the other shoe to drop.  Maybe you think that something this good definitely couldn’t truly happen to you,   and you wait for it to go away. =&7=& It’s okay to not be completely ecstatic when good news appears in your life.  It’s okay to take some time to take it all in. It’s okay to sit with it until you understand the ramifications of how it will change your life. It’s okay to notice any feelings of fear, anxiety, or uncertainness that surface.  It’s okay to be in whatever emotional state that you are in.  As long as you are aware of your emotions and are able to delve into why you are feeling the way you are, you’ll come to see that any reaction to any circumstance is just right. =&8=& By truly believing that you are worth all of the good fortune that you are receiving, you will open yourself up and be able to embrace all of the wonderful things that come your way.  Hopefully after spending some time calming down your own saboteur and building up your self esteem, you will come to realize that you truly deserve happiness. You can start to embrace all of the good that enters your life! You’re worth it! 🙂

It’s that time of year, isn’t it? For the last few years, we’ve passed along our taxes to an accountant. But this year, we are putting ourselves back on the priority list, eating healthier, and saving for a Vitamix!  The money that we’ll save by not paying for an accountant is more than enough to pay for this amazing blender. I can’t wait to start making yummy juices, soups, and sorbets! I’m keeping that goal in mind as I tackle the tedious task of compiling everything and figuring it all out. Having a home business really adds to the complexity, and I will be so happy when we file them and don’t have to think about taxes for another year. Yesterday, going through the mound of paperwork and expenses took me right back to last year. I couldn’t help but reflect upon where I was then – and was so thankful at how different and better my life is now.  =&0=& My work/life balance was pretty much nonexistent. Almost every expense is work-related, and almost everything we made went right back into our business. And while I realized this and have begun to make drastic changes in my life to make sure this is no longer the case, it’s still a wake up call to see it in black and white. We had a really rough year filled with transition, loss, and lots of change. And it’s so nice to see that where I am now is so much closer to my true path than where I was a year ago or even six months ago. My actual life is getting closer and closer to my ideal life – whew!  We saved three cows (with the help of over 100 people)! I am so happy that they are living normal cow lives just a few miles away from us.  We learned a lot of life lessons that will stay with us forever. We began to truly take responsibility for our lives. As you are going through your taxes this year and the seemingly endless pile of paperwork, take some time to reflect on the stories behind the numbers. 
How has your life changed from then to now? 
What have you learned since then?
What feelings does going back in time bring up for you?  Turning a not-so-fun task into one of learning and self reflection can be eye opening and truly wonderful.  Give it a try! 🙂