Integrity & To-Do Lists
Happy December everyone! Here in the northeast, the weather has officially changed to cooler days and most leaves have left us. Winter is right around the corner.
Energetically, December is often a time for me personally where I find myself balancing leaning into all the holiday joy, the social events, the mess of present wrapping, the bustling kitchens with the desire to want to peel back, simplify, pull inward, and consider how I want to walk into the next calendar year.
I imagine some of you feel the same way!
What has helped me find a sense of balance during this busy season is ~
being in integrity with my energy & dancing with my to-do list
Let’s break it down!
being in integrity with my energy
The concept of staying in alignment with my true energy is one that I have experimented with for years, but it was outlined and communicated in a way that so deeply resonated with me in a podcast episode from the Expanded Podcast. In this podcast episode, I was reminded that we are energetic beings, and it’s not just what we put out that comes back to us, but it’s also how we filter what is coming through us and how we choose to respond.
For example, staying in integrity with oneself does not mean saying “little lies” just to make someone else feel better. This could look like a friend coming to you because they want validation in regards to something they said, and in your gut or heart, you don’t feel it would be in integrity if you agreed. Another example could be saying yes to a holiday party that you know you are not excited about or don’t have the capacity for, but you are going to step out of integrity because you fear the effect your “no” will have on the host. You get the drill… it’s like not giving into people's pleasing tendencies, but it’s beyond just that, it’s the reminder that we choose how we respond to our lives. And in our response, we are telling the universe something. If we are not in integrity, how can the universe be sure we are ready and brave enough to step into the fullness of our lives? How can the universe be sure that we can receive the people, experiences, and things that are authentic to us if we keep responding to things that are not authentic?
Something from this episode that I loved was permission to get creative with how you respond to life. Being in integrity doesn’t mean you now have to share the blunt truth or be harsh or direct. If someone asks you about how you like their new haircut and you don’t like it, you could ask, “What do you think?” or you could say something like, it looks nice and fresh! It probably does look freshly cut, but it doesn’t mean you love it :)
dancing with my to-do list
My to-do list and I have had an interesting relationship over the past few years. First, I treated my list with an extreme sense of urgency. As soon as I put down holiday shopping, well, it had to get done! If I put down go to the dry cleaners, well, it had to get done that day! Progress for me has looked like allowing things to sit and linger on my to-do list and push past the sense of urgency. This has created way more space in my life for time to reflect and be more in the flow. Often I will let things sit on my list, have them in the back of my mind, and then all of a sudden I find myself in the exact store or situation where I can simply just take the action or buy the thing and it wasn’t something that required so much brute force. I like having a list to refer to because it helps me keep track of all the little things in my brain, especially in such a busy season. However, the practice of not allowing the to-do list to dictate whether or not I am allowed to relax or take a breather is something that has taken work.
That being said, while urgency has taken a backseat, two new friends have come to join the to-list dance and those are procrastination and momentum. I have realized that my newfound lack of urgency can sometimes slip into procrastination. There are things that if I did just sit down and tackle, I would feel a newfound sense of freedom. And, once I do start one thing on my list, it becomes that much easier to lean in since momentum takes the lead and keeps me moving. Momentum can be SUCH a powerful force, and recently I have become more discerning as to when to lean into momentum so that it can help me move through tasks more quickly so that I have more time on the backend to rest.
I would be curious to know how you utilize lists - whether they be in your head on paper or your phone. Are you using lists in a way that is helpful to you? Is urgency taking charge? Do you tend toward procrastination? Has momentum ever swept you off your feet and left you feeling amazed by your progress?
Balance is never perfect, we are always leaning one way or the other. The beauty is in recognizing and working to come back to center. Being mindful of whether I am being in integrity with myself or not, and how I am using my to-do lists, are two ways that are helping me find balance this season.
Happy holidays to you!
Warmly,
Caroline
