Here’s my end of year review.
I launched Mercury Jam Coaching on December 21st, 2019. Starting on the first day of winter,
with the least amount of light meant that things can only get brighter.
Step by step.
Day by day.
Growth is hard. Ask a plant. 🌱
So it’s always been intentional to align and track the progress of the business
against the seasons and the lunar cycles. Ahead of Mercury Jam’s 4th Birthday next week,
here’s 3 learnings to share.
📌 Movement.
It’s essential to move my body and have physical exercise first thing, to focus on stretching, breathing and momentum. My preference is open water swimming.
The priority is get up, get dressed and get out of the houseboat.
The water temperature today was 7°C, it goes down to 4 or 5 degrees. The air temperature fluctuates between. -5 and 5C right now. I appreciate the physical benefits of cold water, the impact it has on my circulatory and immune system. It’s time for myself, my well-being & mental health.
To allow thoughts to ebb and flow.
To self-care and align my mindset for the working day ahead.
📌 Nature.
The photos are deceptive, I actually live in the middle of a city (Amsterdam.)
However, within a 25-minute bike ride I’m in the woods and the water.
Connecting to nature brings peace and calmness, puts the stresses of running my own consultancy into perspective.
Swimming all year round lets me witness the changes of the seasons first hand, the light, colours, patterns.
Nature keeps me grounded.
It’s a handy alternative tracking system to map the progress of the business. I plan the Quarters by the Shortest Day (December), Spring Equinox, (March) the Longest Day (June) and Autumn Equinox (September).
When it comes to personal progress, I encourage my clients to follow the lunar cycles. For example, the 13 or 14 days from a New Moon to a Full Moon, following the waxing and waning. It’s a way of tracking growth in a more natural organic way. To relook at your relationship with the working week in a different way.
📌 Mornings
There’s a lot of debate about the benefits of a morning rituals, and some snarky commentary around having a laundry list of activities you need to tick off from meditation, journaling, fasting. I say whatever floats your boat and works for you, your routine & metabolism. For me, it’s definitely an early start, 5am.
I first soak some simple oatmeal, then bike to the lake, swim and return. Apart from using my phone to check the weather before I leave and connecting to Sonos for the radio when I return, I have no screen time.
I’ve tried meditating, it’s not for me. Nor is journaling, even though I’ve just written a book.
Those hours in the morning from 5am to when I open my laptop around 9 are precious to me.
That’s four hours investing in myself. My thoughts. The day ahead.
As a coach, I spend my time listening to my clients. It’s a skill that requires practice. So the opportunity in the mornings to listen to my thoughts, listen to myself is something that I don’t take for granted.
I do it for myself first, in order to best serve my clients, to enable them to feel seen, heard, and valued.
Life is short.
Let’s make it a good one.
– Own your shit.
– Be present, now.
– Win the morning, win the day.
There’s enough time.
Just don’t waste it.
