Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life.

Monthly review: taking the easier option

Hard choices, easy life. 
Easy choices, hard life.

It crossed my mind to completely miss April’s monthly review as I am posted in so late. Life has been busier this month and there has been a lot going on with Adapt Drinks, so I could make lots of excuses not to write it up. But honestly, I think my delay in writing it up was more to do with how I progressed or more correctly, regressed with one of my habits in April. It is much easier to write about how things are going well!

In terms of my meditation habit, I had a very poor performance in April. As noted in the review below, I did meditate every day but it was either a guided meditation at the end of the day or five minutes seated meditation in the morning. I managed only two 20 minute sessions in the month.

April did have a lot going on for me and I can see that my tendency is to drop what seems to be the easiest thing to drop to give me some more time. I was simply taking the easier option. The reality would be that I would have easily accumulated 20 minutes on my phone throughout the day in short spells and I would have had other time across the day pfaffing about. To say I didn’t have time for it is disingenuous. This is definitely a mindset issue for me that I am going to have to work on.

To have to sit quietly with my own thoughts for 20 minutes when my head is literally bursting at the moment with issues with work, general life thoughts, and a good measure of random overthinking by me, is something I am currently finding challenging. If I had not written this monthly review, I am not sure I would have come to this conclusion and May would have continued on just like April.

Like most times when we take the easier option in the short term, it makes it harder for us in the longer term. I know that I would be feeling calmer and have a clearer head if I sat down for 20 minutes and meditated.

“Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life.”

Jerzy Gregorek 

The easier option is appealing because it gives us immediate relief or benefit – for me, it is that I think I have 20 minutes more of time to do “stuff”. If I really wanted to meditate, I have 20 minutes in the day to do it. I am just avoiding the challenge of sitting with myself for 20 minutes – I don’t feel like doing the work this requires. I am going to have to stop being led by emotions and short-term thinking and just do it. I will let you know how I go!

Have you been taking the easier option with something in your life at the moment?

April monthly review

HabitConnection to goal - Do the inner work to be able to give more to those around me.Quote - “Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” - Carl JungApril Review
Meditate in the morning for at least 20 minutesI have been meditating for a number of years now, but lately it is often left to the end of the day and I listen to a guided meditation before I go to sleep.

To reap the real benefits of meditation I want to practice in the first half of the day, non guided and for a minimum of 20 minutes. In this time emotions, feelings and issues will come up and I will need to learn to not react to it, simply observe it and focus on the meditation session.
“The more regularly and the more deeply you meditate, the sooner you will find yourself acting always from a center of peace.” - J. Donald Walters
Terrible performance for me in the month of April for this habit. I did meditate every day but it was either a guided meditation at the end of the day or five minutes seated meditation in the morning. I managed two 20 minute sessions in the month.

April did have a lot going on for me and I can see that my tendency is to drop what seems to be the easiest thing to give me some more time. The reality would be that I would have easily accumulated 20 minutes on my phone throughout the day in short spells and I would have had other time across the day pfaffing about. To say I didn't have time for it is disingenuous. This is definitely a mindset issue for me that I am going to have to work on.
Participate in a weekly faith based activityI have a strong personal faith but feel that it needs a recharge and refresh. Immersing myself in more faith based activities will help me achieve this and to examine my spirituality at a deeper level.“Faith is an oasis in the heart which will never be reached by the caravan of thinking.” - Khalil GibranThis is the habit that I am most proud of sticking to. Like meditation, this is one I could drop easily because the benefits from this habit are not as visible. It is benefiting me though greatly so I think this is the key as to why I have stuck at it.
Write in a gratitude journal dailyFor some reason I stopped my gratitude journal process in the latter half of 2020 and I have noticed its absence. Part of my journal entry in the evening is to note down how I could have made the day even better. Reflecting each day on how I can improve is an important part of doing the inner work.“Journal writing is a voyage to the interior.” - Christina Baldwin
As this habit is stacked with another and it takes me only a few minutes I have found this habit quite easy to set and continue with - if only all habit formation was this easy!
Learn and speak Phil's love language well and dailyI read The 5 Love Languages® by Dr. Gary Chapman a few years ago and loved the concept. For some reason I never got Phil to do the quiz and work out his love language. I will re-read the book and get us both to do the quiz .

I will then focus on making sure I am speaking Phil's love language on a daily basis.
“Love is a choice you make everyday.” - Gary ChapmanApril was an awareness month for me. I was not close to where I want to be in terms of speaking Phil's love language but I was better. Most importantly, I am becoming aware of when I am getting it wrong or of where I am missing opportunities. Awareness is critical in behaviour change, so I feel like April was a good month.