Every Sunday night, Â I write a weekly report. It’s an outline of what I did that week and what I plan to do in the week ahead. It’s about my business and not really about anything related to my personal health or personal life. I also look ahead at my schedule, to be sure I’m ready for any appointments, meetings and classes in the coming week.
When I was in Spain, I was lucky enough to be paired with a wonderful yoga teacher, Skye Phillips, from Sydney, Australia. She’s worked as a business consultant and one of the things she suggested to me (which I really took to heart) was the idea of creating an “Ideal Weekly Schedule.” The idea of this shocked me in a way, as I’m used to letting my teaching schedule dictate my week. After that, comes business appointments, then maybe things like yoga and running and then time with loved ones. They aren’t always in that order but the business things usually do come first.
Is this lopsided? I’d say it is.
I started to think about “what if” I put the things in my life that are most important, first? Things like my health, my friends and family and put my business second? Would that put me at risk? There’s no way to tell other than to try. My overall thought is that putting your work life first, even in something wellness related, like teaching yoga, is a surefire way to burn out. My week away in Spain taught me that, by giving me a chance to practice every day, eat well, disconnect from technology, read and relax. Why can’t these things be part of my every day, US-based existence?
What items would my ideal week contain? Yoga, of course, running, cooking at home for my sweetie, reading, restorative yoga poses before bed, long(er) walks with the dog, dancing to You Tube Videos and watching old, funny movies. Yes, these would be the things I’d be sure to schedule in my week.
So, before this week gets too far underway, take a minute and set an intention for what your ideal week would include. And then make the time for it!