Stop setting goals and start celebrating & intending with your spirit guides instead

During the 5 years I was actively caring for my father-in-law who suffers from dementia, I had a lot of trouble sticking to a schedule with my goals. I was really hard on myself when I didn't meet any of my business goals.

During those same 5 years when my business didn't grow as fast as I wanted, my emotional and spiritual understanding of myself was expanding daily. I started communicating regularly with my spirit guides. I could ask for help and get answers. I knew I was shifting.

Where was the disconnect? How could I feel like I was in high-speed evolution spiritually yet feel like my business growth was stuck in low gear?

One of my business mentors encouraged me to take a few minutes and write down anything I had done during the previous month to move my business forward. We were on a call without video so she didn't see me roll my eyes.

I didn't think the writing exercise would lead to anything.

After the call with my coach ended, I started a list. It took me a while to remember, but before long, I was surprised by how long my list became. I HAD taken a lot of little steps to move my business forward. And, instead of feeling bad about my lack of progress, I felt excited. I wanted to do more.

The exercise my coach made me do was similar to one of my monthly routines. On the morning of the new moon, I always took a few minutes to look over the past month, celebrate the wins, give thanks for any help I received from my spirit guides, and then set an intention for the upcoming month. Whenever the next new moon arrived, I was always surprised by how much I'd moved forward in my life.

If my new moon routine worked on a monthly basis, why wasn't I doing it weekly or even daily?! And more importantly, why wasn't I applying it to my business?

From then on, I started celebrating whatever little thing I moved forward and then focused on what I was intending to do next. That's the key for me. I don't to aim for something big, or even small. Instead, I'm bringing light to whatever I'm currently tending to in my life.

I know, you're probably thinking it sounds a lot like goal setting. Maybe it is, but because I'm coming at it from a different perspective, it works for me.

Here's my process:

1. Make a note of everything I've moved forward, and celebrate it.
2. Make a note and give thanks for any help, seen or unseen, that I've had.
3. Make a note of anything I'm currently tending to in my life.
4. Make a note of anything I would like help with, especially from my spirit guides

I've been using this process during my new moon rituals every month. I also use it once a week before talking with my accountability partner.

When I told my friend about it, she suggested that I share the process with others. And, so I did!

You can now buy Celebrating and Intending: a daily practice - A notebook for reflecting on daily wins & setting new intentions with your spirit guides on Amazon.

Now I use my journals and follow the process four or five days a week. Of course, you can follow this process with any blank notebook, which is what I did for a long time. You'll want to use one of my journals if:

• You want something to remind you of all four steps.
• You want something small that will fit in your bag or on the side of your desk.
• You don't want anything with a spiral because things get caught in the spiral when you put them in your bag.
• You want something you can easily recycle or shred when your finished

What about our planet? Did you really need to publish a journal?

Putting another product out there in the world that relies on paper will have an impact on our Earth. (Did you know that my degree was in Environmental Education?) I couldn't sell a journal or any book without also making sure I was giving back to the cycle of life for our trees. For every book, journal, or workbook I sell, I'm committed to planting one tree. I partnered with One Tree Planted so that I can keep my 1 Book = 1 Tree promise.