I spend a lot of my time designing experiences for my clients. A large part of this creative process includes creating agendas and slide decks for my speaking engagements and the workshops, group coaching sessions, and retreats that I facilitate. I would spend endless hours obsessing over getting everything just right. After doing this for so long, I began to realize that I often ended up trying to pack way too much into limited amounts of time. So, I took a step back to observe my process. I discovered that I create my best work when I spend some time with it, walk away from it to give it some space, and then return to it with a fresh and rested mind. When we want something badly, it seems that exerting more energy, effort, and action is the answer. What if, like dough, we simply let it rest? Here are some strategies to support you in attracting your desired outcomes by incorporating rest in the process. Rest to Rise. An important part of the process of making bread is allowing the dough to rest. Dough needs to rest before kneading so that it can expand fully and absorb water which makes it much easier to handle. If you don’t let it rest, it will impact the texture and flavor that makes bread so wonderfully delicious. If we want our ideas, relationships, or dreams to be expansive and flavorful, we must give them time to rest so that they can rise. What project or pursuit do you need to press pause on to allow space for its full potential? Mental Marinade. I love to experiment with a host of herbs, spices, and sauces when I cook. For the food to take on the entire essence of the flavors, it needs time to marinate. I apply this same concept to learning and creativity. Once a new concept is introduced, I like to give my participants time to reflect and absorb what they’ve heard or experienced before moving on to the next thing. This is a key step in my creative process as well. I start with a brainstorm or an outline, then I give it time to marinate by stepping away or sleeping on it then returning to it when it’s bursting with flavor and ready to be fully cooked. What idea or concept do you need to let marinate before you take action? Pinpoint Your Peak. My brain is at its best between 9:00am and 2:00pm. I’ve adjusted my business hours to reflect this and often see clients and schedule workshops within this window so that they can get the best of me. This is also my ideal time to create. Forcing myself to produce beyond these hours often leads to less than stellar outcomes. Think about the time of day when your mind feels the most clear and fresh and use that window to do your best work. How might you do your most important work within your window of peak performance and allow for time to rest when that window closes? This week I challenge you to identify where you are feeling stretched, stressed, or stuck. These may be the very areas where you need to let it rest. Manifestation Affirmation I am making time for rest and reflection. I am living an expansive and flavorful life. I am honoring my mental and emotional capacity by harmonizing work and rest.
Master Your Mindset to Manifest a Life You Love. Most Sincerely, Monica Marie Jones Your Soul Journey Guide
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