Post # 62 - Checking In With Myself Before Spring Arrives

Posted under: Relationships & Self | The Full Life Edit

There’s a quiet moment at the end of February that I’ve learned not to rush past. Winter isn’t quite over, but something is shifting. The days stretch a little longer. The light lingers. Spring begins to whisper instead of shout.

Before the pace changes, before new expectations creep in, I like to pause and check in with myself. Not to evaluate or judge — just to listen. This check-in has become one of the most grounding practices I return to each year.

🌿 Why This Check-In Matters

So often, we move from season to season without noticing what we’re carrying. We push through winter, eager for spring’s promise of renewal, without acknowledging how the colder months shaped us.

This end-of-February check-in helps me:

• Notice what this season gave me
• Acknowledge what it took from me
• Decide what I want to carry forward — and what I don’t

It’s not about preparing to “do more.” It’s about understanding where I am before I move on.

✨ The Questions I Ask Myself

This check-in isn’t complicated. I don’t need a full journaling retreat or a perfect mindset. I just ask a few honest questions and let the answers arrive gently.

1. How do I actually feel right now?

Not how I should feel. Not how I want to feel. Just the truth. Tired? Hopeful? Restless? Calm? Naming the feeling helps me honor it instead of pushing past it.

2. What supported me this winter?

Was it rest, routine, connection, solitude, warmth, creativity? Recognizing what helped reminds me of my resilience and what I might need more of going forward.

3. What drained me more than I expected?

This question helps me spot patterns — commitments, habits, or dynamics that quietly took more than they gave. Awareness is the first step toward gentler boundaries.

4. What do I want to leave behind?

Winter has a way of accumulating emotional layers. This question gives me permission to release guilt, pressure, or expectations that no longer fit.

🌸 Turning Inward Without Judgment

In the past, check-ins sometimes turned into self-criticism. I’d focus on what I didn’t accomplish or how I could have done better.

Now, I approach these reflections like a conversation with someone I care about. With curiosity. With compassion. With patience.

Checking in isn’t about fixing myself — it’s about understanding myself.

🧠 Relationships Begin With the Self

This check-in lives under Relationships & Self for a reason. The relationship I have with myself sets the tone for every other connection in my life.

When I pause to listen inwardly:

• I communicate more clearly with others
• I set boundaries with less guilt
• I show up more honestly in relationships
• I recognize my needs before resentment builds

Self-awareness strengthens connection — not just inwardly, but outwardly too.

🌿 What I’m Not Rushing Into

As spring approaches, there’s often pressure to reset everything: goals, routines, energy, plans. This year, I’m resisting the urge to rush.

Instead of asking, What should I start?

I’m asking, What do I want to tend gently?

Instead of demanding growth, I’m choosing continuation — carrying forward what already works and letting new things emerge naturally.

🌱 A Simple End-of-Winter Ritual

My check-in doesn’t need to be elaborate. Sometimes it looks like:

• Sitting quietly with a cup of tea
• Writing a single page in my journal
• Taking a slow walk and reflecting internally
• Speaking answers aloud to myself

The ritual isn’t the point. The attention is.

🌸 What This Practice Gives Me

Each year, this pause gives me clarity. Not loud clarity — soft clarity. The kind that steadies instead of pushes.

It reminds me that I don’t need to arrive in spring as a “new version” of myself. I just need to arrive aware.

Aware of what I need.

Aware of what I’ve survived.

Aware of what I’m ready to nurture next.

🌿 A Gentle Invitation

Before spring fully arrives, I invite you to check in with yourself — without pressure, without performance.

Ask:

• How am I really doing?
• What did this season teach me?
• What do I want to carry forward gently?

You don’t need answers to everything. Even noticing the questions is enough.

Because growth doesn’t always begin with action. Sometimes, it begins with listening.

💬 Tell me: Do you pause between seasons to reflect, or do you usually move straight ahead? What helps you check in with yourself? Share in the comments — your reflection might resonate with someone else right now.

– M.E

Post # 61 - Why I’m Not Forcing Motivation Right Now

Posted under: Wellness & Habits | The Full Life Edit

For a long time, I believed motivation was something I had to chase. If I didn’t feel driven, inspired, or energized, I assumed something was wrong with me. I pushed harder, added more pressure, and waited for motivation to magically appear.

But lately — especially in this late-winter season — I’ve stopped forcing it. And surprisingly, that choice has brought more peace, clarity, and consistency than pushing ever did.

🌿 The Myth of Constant Motivation

We’re often told that motivation is the engine of progress. That if we’re not feeling inspired, we’re lazy, uncommitted, or falling behind. But motivation is a feeling — and feelings are seasonal, fluctuating, and deeply human.

Late winter doesn’t naturally produce high motivation. Energy is lower. Light is limited. Our bodies and minds are still in recovery mode. Expecting peak performance right now is like expecting flowers in frozen soil.

Instead of fighting this reality, I’m learning to respect it.

✨ What Happens When I Stop Forcing It

When I stopped demanding motivation, a few important shifts happened:

• I stopped shaming myself. Low motivation no longer meant failure — it meant listening.
• I worked with my energy instead of against it. Some days call for action, others for rest.
• I focused on consistency, not intensity. Gentle movement replaced all-or-nothing effort.
• I felt calmer. Pressure lifted when expectations softened.

Letting go of forced motivation didn’t make me stagnant. It made me sustainable.

🌸 Choosing Support Over Pressure

Instead of asking, How do I get motivated? I now ask, What support do I need right now?

Support looks like:

• Earlier bedtimes instead of longer to-do lists
• Warm meals instead of restrictive plans
• Short walks instead of intense workouts
• Clear priorities instead of packed schedules

Motivation often follows support — not the other way around.

🧠 Discipline Without Aggression

Not forcing motivation doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means replacing aggression with gentleness.

On days when motivation is low, I rely on:

• Routines: familiar habits that don’t require inspiration
• Minimum standards: doing the smallest version of something instead of skipping it entirely
• Compassionate check-ins: asking what’s realistic today

This kind of discipline feels quiet, steady, and respectful. It builds trust instead of resistance.

🌿 What This Season Is Teaching Me

Late winter has taught me that motivation isn’t a moral obligation. It’s a signal — one that comes and goes.

By honoring the slower pace, I’ve learned:

• Rest is productive in its own way
• Consistency doesn’t require excitement
• Gentle effort accumulates over time
• Listening to myself creates better outcomes than pushing past myself

When spring arrives, motivation will return naturally — nourished, not forced.

🌱 Reframing Progress

Progress doesn’t always look like momentum. Sometimes it looks like maintenance. Like staying steady. Like not quitting when energy dips.

Right now, progress looks like:

• Showing up imperfectly
• Protecting my energy
• Letting this season be what it is

And that’s enough.

🌸 A Gentle Invitation

If you’re struggling with motivation right now, I invite you to stop forcing it. Pause. Listen. Support yourself first.

Ask:

• What would feel kind today?
• What’s the smallest step I can take?
• Where can I soften instead of push?

You don’t need to be fired up to keep going. Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is continue gently — trusting that motivation will return when the season shifts.

💬 Tell me: Do you feel pressure to be motivated all the time? How do you handle low-energy seasons? Share in the comments — your honesty might help someone feel less alone.

– M.E