Manifesting an ‘Aligned August’

lifestyle
Written By Jess Whitney

Happy August! A new month, in many ways, represents a fresh start. And while we can choose to re-adjust and use ANY time of the day/week/year to have a fresh start (I remind my clients of this often), some of us (ahem, me) operate best when given structure, a label/name or some definitive guardrails. And if something works for us, it is my belief that we should lean into it.

The motivation for ‘Aligned August’ came about because I was feeling lethargic, unmotivated, de-energized, lazy and to put it simply — misaligned.

I LOVE what content creation has brought into my life — community, connection, friendships, creativity. AND it requires some pretty strict boundaries, which I have transparently struggled with — as I have found myself doing way too much mindless scrolling & saying yes to way too many events.

I KNEW it was time to take a step back from the clinical part of my work that I had become very burnt out from. AND this also has given me more free time than my old ‘workaholic’ self has ever had, which I have struggled with filling - as I am forming a new, healthier sense of self.

I APPRECIATE living in a place as beautiful as Charleston, where every day feels like a vacation. AND this type of lifestyle can be such a big distraction from doing the things to take care of the rest of me - as I have found myself rebelling against work and, at times, simple, foundational self-care.

THE MISSION:

Align the ways in which I’m spending my time, energy and money with my ACTUAL values and needs as much and as often as possible. Give myself grace/room for imperfection, but also challenge myself to be more self disciplined, knowing it feels better in the long-run despite some initial discomfort.

I want to be intentional. Mindful. Assured. Aligned.

I want to end the day feeling just the right balance of productive & challenged - yet simultaneously calm & grounded.

I want to reconnect with myself - including the messy, imperfect, grieving parts - so that I can heal what still needs healing.

Here’s what I’m leaning into - and leaning away from - this month, in order to be more aligned:

  • Mindful Use of Social Media — Simply put, I want to use it as a tool to connect, create and add & receive value — and little else. I want to avoid mindless scrolling, comparison and over-thinking/over-doing content so I have more time to create a more well-rounded life. This comes with being more structured about time spent on my phone, whether it be to create or share content and/or engage with others — and stepping away when I notice that I’m not getting what I need, whether it be that I’m having a creative block or just habitually scrolling with no real purpose.

  • Making My Bed Each Day/Staying Out of It — I’ll be honest, my bed is my safe space & I love that I have one of those. But it’s becoming a crutch and a way to escape myself, my goals and my needs. Staying out of bed throughout the day aligns with my other goals to be more active, more focused, more physically/mentally healthy & overall more intentional. Rather than sinking into my bed while I work and create, I’ll use inspiring spaces that make me feel energized and motivated instead, whether it be my patio, my office, a coffee shop or even the beach.

  • Saying ‘No’ to Events & Invitations I’m Not Truly Excited About or Interested In - This one will probably be the hardest. As a recovering people-pleaser, & a ‘yes’ person who has severe FOMO, I find it hard to say no when I’m invited to something. As a result, I over-commit and, sometimes, flake. This re-alignment calls for more self-honesty (will I actually still WANT to do that thing when the time comes?!) and intentional value setting (is this way of spending my time in alignment with my actual values?). This one requires letting go of peer pressure, ‘should’s and fear of disappointing others or missing out — all for the greater goal of honoring my authentic self and my true desires/needs.

  • Honoring My Body & Mind - Rather than going through the motions of my day-to-day routine, I want to check in with myself more regularly to identify what I ACTUALLY need/want vs. what I’m just ‘used to’ doing. Routines can work, but sometimes they work against us. Instead of doing my usual 20 minute walk + 30 minute strength training, for example, maybe I will notice that the tightness & tension in my body could actually benefit from some yoga instead. I want to take the opportunity at the start & end of each day to check in with myself and my needs so I can take tangible action to meet them.

Are your time, energy and money being spent in a way that feels aligned for you right now? It may be impossible for that answer to be 100% yes (maybe ever). And that’s okay.

I recommend starting with a self-assessment of all the important buckets of your life, whether it be career, family, social, financial, etc., and identifying 1) what’s working/going well in that bucket and 2) what’s been challenging or misaligned in that bucket. This will give you some guidance toward creating your own month or season of alignment.

Stay tuned at the end of August to see if it was mission accomplished or mission ‘dust yourself off & try again’. I’ll recap what I learned, what I’m leaving behind and what I’m taking with me for the next chapter… an aligned AUTUMN.

XO,

Jess

Jess Whitney