I do so many things in the name of creativity, experimentation and learning.
Things like Liver Detoxes and Standing Desks, energy meditations and burning spices, drawing classes and housecleaning techniques are just a few of the fun things I’ve gathered in my toolkit of life more recently.
Yet, even with all those awesome tools, when it comes to truly growing my life past the point that I’m accustomed to, expanding my work and living with all kinds of new abundance, it’s been the longer look in the mirror, the deeper introspection, that’s shown me where I have lots of room to grow.
Tuning into my own habits and patters has help me focus on the change-making that feels most revolutionary, clear and energize my days in ways that I’ve needed on a profound level, and grow in alignment with my personal mission.
Here are some of the most awesome habits and mindset shifts I’ve adopted (not all may apply to you, but the gist of them might spark some ideas) that have helped me to create much more and feel incredible in the process in the past year!
Standing Straighter.
As I quickly realized, it takes a lot more energy to stand and sit straighter. And all the looking down at phones and hunching over and swaying instead of standing tall were reflecting my dragged-down energy system. Its was like my body was getting melted and bent in the name of being “busy” and not having time for time off.
When I committed to standing and sitting much straighter, I realized that my chair was too low for my desk and even my steering wheel in my car could use an adjustment.
If I catch myself slumping or leaning, I get grounded and straighter again.
Not only do I take more breaks, rest more, breathe deeper, feel more energized and present (!) in life, I feel my core becoming so much stronger in powerful ways for my body and my life!
All it took was a commitment to the moment-by-moment habit of way better posture!
Scheduling myself as a priority.
I used to say yes to everyone’s best time but my own. It was my people-pleasing streak rearing its head in a new way. Working at all hours, having important times in my day interrupted because I scheduled so ineffectively, putting off things for myself into a distant future…
Now, I have myself scheduled on my calendar generously and everything else fits between hours that are still wide but way more sane!
I wish I had learned this one six years ago in a way that really stuck, but I realize that behind this habit was a feeling of being”not enough” and that I had to go out of my way to do things to be enough that perfectly suited everyone but me.
Now, we find mutually great times and everyone is happy!
Brainstorming about anything that feels stale.
When something once worked for me— whether it was a vitamin or a morning routine or anything else– I would get locked into that thing as a must-do.
Now, I think that’s pretty reasonable to hold onto what’s working, you know?
But, if any of those things ceased to work for me, I’d hold onto them anyway.
My vitamin that suited me brilliantly started making me sick and I knew it deep inside, I felt fantastic when I skipped it for a week, and yet stubbornly refused to permanently change it.
I’d do the same with many things, simply because they were once my most favorite things.
Now, when anything feels stale, unsatisfying or otherwise like its lost its glimmer, I’m ready to brainstorm ways to change it up.
This willingness to break from the routine has led me to start a new Feng Shui School (it’s The School of Intention, and we start again in February!), meet new friends and create stronger friendships that I had, dare to take big personal and creative risks…and so much more.
The feeling of “settling” is a big red flag for me to get into action!
Repairing/Revamping my wardrobe.
As much as this may seem trivial, as I take one more pair of shoes to be repaired and just remembered that a dress is ready for me to pick up that’s been re-stitched, I can tell you that a few trips to the tailor and shoemaker have been more powerful for my style than shopping or decluttering or anything else!
Repairing things you love brings a whole new transformational energy to your wardrobe!
Intuition is at the core of all I do.
Of all the wilder habits I’ve learned into, the ones that were the least comfortable at first and the most seemingly risky, intuition was the grandest.
When things feel wrong, I am here to listen!
When things feel right and make no “common sense” I am here to listen!
This willingness to take my feelings seriously has led to far better decisions and way more action.
Beautification as something fun.
For a long time (say nearly a year and a half), I defaulted to wearing yoga pants, glasses and my hair in a bun, maybe a big sweater and that was it. Unless I was driven by necessity to put on a dress, I was in this outfit all day long.
I never looked in mirrors and I wore no makeup, didn’t even own more than a lipgloss.
And nothing is wrong with all of the above. It made me incredibly happy for some creative time.
Except this happened: It lingered. And it was totally contrary to who I am and what I love. I am the person who petitioned Stanford to do a graduating thesis (that they would fund, of course) on Male Supermodels and wore heels to class at 8am in the winter in Palo Alto, weaving through swarms of students on bikes. I’m most at home overdressed in vintage and all kinds of wild dresses to do just about anything.
I had checked my style at the door and sunk into creative mode. I thought I couldn’t do both, and decided to “hide out” and “work hard.”
And, while it served me to run around taking photos and writing and working for a while, it became a sullen rut to fall into.
It’s been so much fun to re-claim my style, to work with stylists, to get into fun skin stuff and makeup and hair and do it not because I need to conform but because it make me feel more creatively self-expressed and excited!
Taking back ownership of the interests, habits and routines that got swept to the side is incredible energizing!
Water. I drink it all day long now. I used to forget. It was not good for my whole life to be dehydrated.
Less self-censorship and more self-expression.
Simple as that: speaking up is so intensely important for all things, including MANIFESTING (!), and swallowing my words for a long time was not good for anything, including not good for my health.
Medicinal Herbal Tea instead of caffeine.
I’ve mentioned this before but ditching caffeine was the habit switch that opened me up to more creativity, deeper sleep and I even LOOK BRIGHTER!
I’m about to have hibiscus tea. I rotate between thyme, ginger, cinnamon, fennel, hibiscus and mint these days. I’ve got so many more to explore.
Stronger intention-setting.
I made a habit of starting the day with clear intentions and then asking myself throughout the day if the things I was doing were supporting my intentions.
This habit alone was and still is, totally epic.
So, as I post this, what most supports my intentions next is a nap to be energized for a new project that’s starting soon— and off I go!
Your own introspection (without self-judgement) can reap so many rewards in insight and so much clarity on where and how you can design a life that supports your dreams even more!
These lists are always growing and it’s all so much fun!!!
Enjoy all that awesome stuff (even the simplest of things) that brings you alignment with your personal magic and your biggest wishes come true!!!
xoxo!!!
Dana
P.S.: The Cash Camp is coming soon.
Eight weeks of fortune-building Feng Shui to get your money in order & your wealth growing starts soon.
HERE’s where to go to get started! (xoxo!)
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Welcome to Creating Genius!
I spent the last year creating this e-guide to balancing and unblocking life by pulling together the best of a decade of space-changing and life-shifting feng shui! It’s 50 days and 50 ways to use feng shui to shift your space and your routines to move from “stuck” to creatively inspired and alive.
Start Creating Genius right HERE!
Gather up your magic & make gorgeous dreams come true!
xoxo Dana
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