Goodbye 2018 , Hello 2019 !
I open this new blank page and it feels like a lifetime ago that I shared something on my blog ( it was in fact April 2018!) and I think it’s the perfect time to come back to it.
I want to use this space to look back at the last 12 months and plant my intentions for 2019.
This is a an ongoing process all year long but it’s so true that the end of the year it’s a special time to stop and reflect and prepare for a fresh new start.
2018 can be definied by one word : UPGRADE
It has been a demanding year in which I was asked to step up in any area of my life. To upgrade to a more adult version of myself on the inside to match some big changes on the outside . From last December, when I looked over the changes I wanted to implement this year, I knew deep inside it would have been challenging and with a lot of beautiful but challenging change.
Lots happening on the outside and I had to keep up on the inside.
I moved into my own apartment in Paris which was a huge decision which involved much research, many steps and unexpected challenges, like having to leave my previous flat in advance in May and spending 5 months moving accomodation every.single.month which was incredibly taxing on my body and taught me a lot about the importance of having a ground under my feet and feeling stable in order to feel free.
But finally entering into my home in November felt so special, like my feet had finally touched the ground after a long earthquake and I’m so incredibly grateful for it and for the stability it’ll give me this new year.
I implemented the decision which had already been inside me for a while to stop teaching yoga on a weekly basis and instead focus my energy on my coaching practice as my main tool and using yoga and meditation as complementary tools of my work. This decision really meant staying strong in my ground even if so many people questioned it on the outside because they didn’t understand why I would stop something that worked so well. But I trusted my intuition and it felt so right on the inside, because I know that by following to my inner compass I’m moving closer to my truth even if I cannot still picture clearly what it will look like over the long-term.
I experimented by working on a part-time for about 6 months at the same time of my two other activities and I realised my motivation was mainly to justify my timetable to people who couldn’t see results from my own passion. And it turned out to be humanly a ver nice experience but something that very naturally faded away because it showed me how I deeply wanted to give my energy to my own business as well as showing me my lack of boundaries on saying “yes” to many random stuff and unclear schedules.
In June I participated to my first Vipassana Retreat which is a silent 10 days meditation retreat that was such an incredible experience which gave me an empty space and showed me an example of a simpler life where you really do not need much. I will never forget the walks in the beautiful little forest and the open view of fields and exchanging looks with lovely strangers creating an intimacy that didn’t require words. I made me understand how we fill our time with so many useless words and distractions. But it was also an extremely difficult mental challenge and it required again lots of resilience.
I arrived at the month of July completely exhausted because I was still giving energy to many things that weren’t aligned as well as overcommitting to my social life and it was in August that I truly felt so anxious and unsettled like never before in my life. tI had a real wake-up call from my body. It needed rest and stillness and my mind needed more clear boundaries and honoring my priorities and a new slower lifestyle where I could thrive and not only survive. It humbled me in front of my own limits and it demanded me a greater acceptance of who I am over who I am not.
I booked a last minute holiday on the beach in Italy with family and an inspiring trip to London and I came back incredibly recharged and with a clearer mind. It’s so true that daily salt water and like-minded people can heal everything.
Back in September I returned with a new strength and I felt an inner shift. I knew I had to implement a slower lifestyle to recover from my anxiety and honor my sensitive constitution and this time it was a nonnegotiable , but also to dedicate time to my own business for real or it’d never happen. I finally nurtured it in a bigger way, hosted my first coaching and yoga workshop and planted some seeds to grow next year.
Last but not least this year I also learned so much about dating and men in the last 12 months, I’m still single and didn’t get the relationship I was dreaming of but I experienced such a huge shift in my mindset and the way I see men with more compassion and understanding and that by itself feels amazing.
And so here I am, at the end of December looking excited over the next 12 months.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN 2019 ?
This time my intention setting process came much more organically. I didn’t go through many over complicated workbooks and reflections but it emerged very simply and naturally.
It’s probably because for the first time in forever I’m not looking for change in the next year, but growing the seeds I’ve carefully planted this year.
The word of the year : GROWTH
Grow my home and make it my temple , my safe harbour from the intensity of the city to recharge, be still, nourish myself physically and mentally. I’m dreaming of a pink salt lamp, essential oil infused in the space, a yoga corner, cooking healthy meals with my lovely flatmate and working away at my new desk, pure bliss !
Grow my little business and do not hold back on new ideas and projects . Make more mistakes and learn from them instead of being afraid at any tiny step along the way. Place more trust in my capabilities instead of always looking for outside validation. Collaborate with inspiring entrepreneurs and share more because sharing and connection simply makes me so happy.
In 2019 you can expect more time and love dedicated to helping people find their passion and live an authentic life.
I cannot wait to write more personal journals in this space, have the honor to hold space for more awesome women 1:1 on Skype and host coaching and yoga sessions in my home, offer more resources online for anyone wanting inspiration, guidance and a boost of courage to go for their dreams.
Grow my heart. I want to live from a more heart-centred space and less from my head. I have all the tools to do it through my spiritual practices and in 2019 I want to be more present into my heart and body, because that’s where I thrive, feel present, centred and calm. This looks like a daily moment to drop into my heart like yoga, meditation, laughter, FUN, free self-expression, feeling love.
Grow also means for me setting more clear boundaries on the ways I run my work, social life and health life to be able to thrive as the best version of my self and not burn myself out every few months.
Grow into a more real and honest version of myself. I noticed how I’m often still filtering the truth to some people for fear of making waves, shaking their beliefs and how they see me. But everybody deserve honesty and I deserve to fully express my whole self, so this is an inner change I definitely want to pursue this year.
Grow my relationships. Quality over quantity. Going deeper with the most important friendships and cultivate my vulerability and truth. And keep on discovering the opposite sex and opening up for a new relationships.
If you haven’t already, take some time during these holidays to reflect back at 2018 and open up to 2019……
It doesn’t have to be a complicated process. Simply plant the seed that you want some guidance and open up to receive it.
Some prompts for your 2018 reflection :
Look back at the photos from the year and the main events on your calendar and journal :
What are you most proud of ?
What have you learned ?
What are you ready to let go ?
And for 2019 intentions :
What do you want more of? What do you want less of ?
By tuning into this new year, what is the kind of vibes you want to bring forward, what lights you up ?
What inner and outer shifts would you implement if you were the bravest and most authentic version of you ?
If you imagine yourself on December 2019 looking back at the year that just passed, what will you be incredibly proud of ?
And with this little reflection, I wish you a very happy Christmas 2018 and the most beautiful, nurturing and loving end of the year, whatever it looks like for you. Cannot wait to connect again in 2019 and take this piece of journey together !