I’ve never really formally set intentions for the month but something about having some time to myself on a rainy Monday evening (and the fact that we’re now officially halfway through the year) has me feeling all kinds of introspective.
Oh, right. It’s probably being smack dab in the middle of my period.
You still there? Cool. Read on for the what and why for my intentions for July.
1. Take back the mornings
I’ve never really been a morning person. I have a hard time getting up and joke that I’m eternally on Pacific Standard Time despite not having lived on the west coast for three years now. For those of you trying to math it, in Minnesota we’re two hours ahead – making mornings even harder.
But I know the days I take time to make it my own I just feel so much better and more complete, going into the day on my terms instead of my alarm clock’s.
I thought I would pick this up after moving to our new place last month but summer construction and road closures has just left me leaving even earlier to go to work with less time to dedicate to me.
I don’t expect to fully roll this out at at once this month, but in July I want to start waking up 5 minutes earlier every week or so to gradually introduce more time and more self care practices into my mornings.
2. No running
This one seems so weird but so right at the same time. Running has been such a big part of my life for the last 10+ years but to say flat out that I’m not going to run this month is so incredibly freeing.
In case you haven’t heard, I’m in a bit of a season of rest right now, continuing to balance my hormones, reduce cortisol and heal my thyroid from the toll EBV took on it last summer.
It wasn’t my intention in June to not run – in fact there were a few days where I thought I was feeling like it was time to hop out for a few miles. But I knew in my heart I wasn’t ready and pushing through was not the way around it.
Just mentally knowing I’ve given myself permission to not have to worry if today is the day I can go back to “me” feels really, really good.
3. Imperfection is perfectly perfect
There are so many places perfectionism runs wild in my life but it’s been in full swing in the process of decorating our new place and getting into new routines. There are still so many things that don’t have homes yet, pictures that need to be hung up, a broken boxspring that needs to get thrown away, and the chaos is honestly driving me crazy.
It’s not that I’m a neat freak, but there’s something about coming home to clutter that really sets me off and turns me into a person I don’t like to be.
Part of my hormone healing journey involves not letting myself get as riled up about the things that bother me that really just don’t matter. It is certainly easier said than done and a major practice in patience and mindset changes but one I’m totally willing and ready to take on this month.
4. Nothing New
I’m not sure if it’s fear that I can’t (or frankly just don’t want to) uphold this one but I’m feeling a little resistance with this one.
Moving into a beautiful new space that’s almost twice the size of our old apartment has meant needing to pick up new furniture that we either didn’t have before or suddenly need because they broke in the move (again, thanks for nothing, boxspring) – but that hasn’t come without cost.
With an eventual wedding to pay for, the word “budgeting” word has come up on more than one occasion.
I don’t want to buy cheap stand-ins that work for a quick fix with the intention of just getting rid of them whenever you move again. That just feels so wasteful.
As if trying to check off buying more investment items isn’t enough, the environmental and social impacts of my purchase are becoming increasingly important in my shopping behaviors.
For instance, we were looking for some other things at Target and realized they carried a collection of rugs that are GoodWeave certified. (GoodWeave works to end child labor in global supply chains, supporting education for at-risk youth and providing jobs for adult artisans.) This literally cut my options from 3,000 to 50 and the rugs I would have otherwise ordered were about half the price, but it was more important to me for that extra money to go towards something bigger than myself.
I don’t say any of this to be a martyr, but after a while, these things add up.
The disconnect lies in that I’m trying to live my life in a mindset of abundance, where resources (mainly money) are unlimited as long as they’re in alignment with your truth and purpose. I don’t want to limit myself from receiving this energy if I’m not willing to expend it but again, weddings aren’t cheap.
So in an attempt to save more, consume less and reduce waste, my intention is to not purchase anything new in July. Let’s see how that goes.
5. Ask the Universe for exactly what you want – and don’t be surprised when you get it
My “nothing new” intention ran a little longer than I meant it to so I’ll keep this one short.
In July, I am going to be unabashed in what I ask for from the Universe, God. Big things only get that way by playing big. We don’t know the power we have within us by just being clear with what we want and not being afraid to ask for it.
But to that token, when you get it you need to be prepared for what’s next.
I put this into practice at the end of June and was amazed at the almost instantaneous things that started popping up. I wasn’t quite sure what to do or how to react because I honestly wasn’t expecting things to manifest so quickly.
With the exception of “nothing new” (honestly a little fearful of that because it requires the biggest change), I’m really excited to go into July and kick off the back half of 2019 with these intentions.
Do you set intentions each month? What are some of yours? How do you stick to them? Let me know in the comments below or on my Instagram post here.
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