intention update | when life isn’t as intended

Note to self: never put on your blog “I think that was the quietest month ever”!

So February came, a week away was planned and then we arrived back (10.30pm on a Saturday night, Valentine’s Night) inadvertently locked out of our flat by the plumber who had been redoing our bathroom after we started leaking into our downstairs neighbour (sometimes renting is the best). So we found a hotel (eventually). Then, it turns out, we couldn’t actually stay in our flat for a few days anyway because you know there wasn’t a toilet in it! And then it was a dusty dusty mess that took days to clean (and I think I will still be finding cementy dust for months to come).

All alright in the end as we have a new bathroom fitted (although the style is bordering on 1995 aesthetics), the cord for the washing machine no longer has to be trailed with a series of extension cords out the door, we have more storage in the bathroom and we have one of those massive ‘rainfall’ shower-heads.

So how do the intentions fair when life isn’t like it is everyday?

I think the lesson I learned is just stick to one thing.

Week one of February was great and I started really well. I started a daily yoga challenge, I had a smoothie for breakfast everyday (not yet green), I had a hot lemon tonic to wake my body up in the morning and I sat down and journaled in my notebook about gratitude and my wonderful life. I was winning!

Going away always makes life a little difficult in terms of maintaining healthy habits (please tell me I am not the only one!). But I continued daily yoga (except for those mornings with really early flights) and ate pretty healthy while we were away.

Return to ‘Bathroom-Gate’ threw me though. So instead of trying to maintain all these habits in a foreign space, where I had to have a different morning routine I settled on one thing. I brought our blender (which I am loving more with each passing blend) and made a super healthy green smoothie every single day. Just that. That is all I needed to do. No pressure.

So we’ve moved into week four. Home is feeling more home again. I am getting up earlier than I have done in a while. I have my green smoothies every morning. I restarted my yoga challenge (back to day 1 because why not), I have my morning tonic. I got a post on my blog! And I have worked on my dissertation. The preliminary report is due on Monday so no choice really (and perhaps some further explanation why blogging on here has been a bit sparse), I haven’t got 100% back into the swing of journalling but I will.

Another thing that I have maintained in good weeks, bad weeks, home or away is getting to bed at a reasonable hour. Tim and I aren’t the types to go to clubs or even sit in a pub for hours with just the two of us. So even on holiday we were often in bed before 11pm. At home it is more like 10.30pm and I have no shame in getting into bed at 9pm if the day has been a particularly tiring one. That means that on holiday you can get to places before the crowds do. And at home you can get through a morning routine and leave the house at a normal pace, no running for a bus and arriving at work an uncomfortable mess.

Okay so that is two things I have learnt. Sleep and just one other thing!

It kind of relates to the yoga that I am doing. Adriene keeps talking about creating the space to become more flexible. I think that applies to my intentions this month. I am working towards things but sometimes you need to give yourself space.

So what does being intentional in March look like? Continuing to work on being fit and healthy, continuing to work on my dissertation and hopefully spending more time on my blog and photography.Two things I really miss working on. No plans travelled so it should be a more home-focussed month which means getting into my discarding phase of tidying up and minimising clutter in my life (more space!).

Do you manage to keep a routine going when you are away? Or how do you keep sane when life throws you a whole bunch of lemons?

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