One Practice for 2012

What do you practice?

We are all constantly engaged in practices – the way we think, the way we eat, the way we move our bodies, the way we relate to others, the way we speak, and the way that we face challenges.  The question is: do our current practices move us closer to what we truly desire?

Practice defines our lives.

The way we show up and practice on a day to day basis defines our outcomes, how we feel, and what we believe about ourselves.  The internal and external obstacles that we face provide some of the greatest opportunities for us to choose a different way.  Everything in our lives, then, has the potential to be a spiritual practice – a way to bring awareness and choice to all areas of our life.

When we make the choice to see everything as a spiritual practice, we are committing to the work of learning how to let go of the mindsets and the habits that no longer serve our highest good.  Having the courage to go to the dark places and shine the light.  Making reality our BFF and then choosing (and practicing) how to respond.

A practice-full approach to the New Year.

In the spirit of practice, I’m taking a different approach to the New Year.

I did the usual things – revisited my vision and mission and looked at my time and financial projections.  I gave a lot of thought to what kinds of services I want to provide, and then I put it all away.

Yes, I put it all away.

Treating my business as a spiritual practice is easy-peasy for me.  I am great at showing up for my business and letting it teach me.  I have deep-practiced noticing and adjusted as needed.  I am terrific at bringing all of my goods to the table and putting it in service to my ideal clients.  I keep getting better at it, and I love that.

But the challenge for me is my tendency to overwork.  Too often I find myself caught up in getting stuff done to the detriment of almost everything else.  I can be hateful toward myself in the way I treat my body, all in honor of getting the job done.  And it’s usually when I’m feeling fearful that I start doing things that I “should” be doing.  I often have to backtrack and extricate myself from things when I am caught in this cycle.  I don’t do my best work, my body suffers, and I’m sort of a bitch when I’m like this.

This kind of practice doesn’t line up with my true desires. 

I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the way I treat myself has a direct impact on my happiness and true productivity and the way I show up for my business – because I have felt the difference when I make time for the spiritual practice of sustaining my body and my soul.

So after the business planning was all done, I decided to have a talk with my soul and get some instruction for 2012.  The overarching theme of the chat I had with my soul was trust – trusting my body, trusting my hunches, trusting my responses and trusting my business and my clients and the universe, too.  On the flip side, trust also means letting go of judgment and fear and rules around what I should and should not be doing.

The practice that I was instructed to give myself daily is one of love – showering my body and soul with love through yoga, meditation, and play-time.  But the overarching message was that love leads to trust.

What I felt and saw when I chatted with my soul was so beautiful, I wept with joy and gratitude.  I know I can have that – I just have to practice.

What do you want to practice? 

Whether you have a talk with your soul or not, you likely know exactly what one practice would really, truly support you in your business and your life in the coming year.  Maybe it’s making friends with your finances, doing daily thought work to change your mind-set, or getting cozy with marketing – whatever it is, it’s likely a bit overwhelming for you to think about practicing it every day.

So get clear.  What will it be like next year if you don’t do take on this one practice?  Now what would be the benefit to you, your business, and your family if you gave yourself the gift of this one practice?  How will you feel this time next year if you deep practice this one thing each and every day?

Is it worth it?  I am betting it is.

Give yourself the gift of one practice, every day, in 2012.

Namasté, business yogini.

Start your year off right, end it even better. Define your ONE Practice on January 3rd with a fabulous group!  Join the One Practice for 2012 teleclass for an hour of fun and walk away inspired and ready to make your One Practice a reality.

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