Rachel MacDonald

Morning gorgeous souls! I hope everyone’s feeling refreshed and ready to tackle another magical week!

First off, a confession: I didn’t completely stick to my ‘dreamin’ + schemin’ goal. An unexpectedly large week at work, a super social weekend (I didn’t do any work in fact) and the burning desire to craft – create, create, create! – meant I didn’t make as much progress with developing new vision boards and planning out my blog redesign as intended.

I mentioned a while back that I’m really committed to focusing on how I feel and working back from there and I’ve been absolutely revelling in the feeling of flow that comes when I’m making/ painting bits and bobs for our house or to gift. Music on, sitting on the floor of our balcony surrounded with paint tubes, thread, sun-bleached sticks I’ve collected from the beach and a drill (my new favourite tool – zzzzzzzzzz!), I groove into this almost trance-like state. Some of my fondest childhood memories are those in which I’m creating and I’m finding it’s beyond therapeutic to go back there and give the work-y sides of my personality a leave pass.

Regarding my goal, I did do some dream doodling but there’s definitely more to come next week when Ramai and I go on our ‘Spirit Retreat,’ so consider that intention “momentarily paused, soon to be resumed.”

{WEEK 4: 12 – 18 Nov}

This week my aim is to support my body by feeding it the cleanest freaking food possible and exercising with intention (as in, being really present, really focused, challenging myself). I want: vitality. Vigour. Verve. Va Va VOOM!

I’ve let my sweet tooth take the reins far too often lately and it’s time to make meal planning and awesome food choices my top priority. I’m also really missing my long runs – I’ve been craving a 15km run – so I’m definitely going to schedule one of those in this week.

What about you? Are you feeling a bit sluggish at the moment? Could you do with a week where the whole focus is on energy-giving tucker and breaking a sweat?

Join me in the comments and let me know what you’ll be committing to goal-wise this week, my loves!

Image: Aubrey Road

{WEEK 3: 5 – 11 Nov}

This “scaled back” approach to my goals is really working for me. Like, really working. A magnificent sense of calm has washed over me and I feel centred, energised – and funnily enough – jazzed to go over and above (in a good way, not one that impinges on my happiness).

In the past little while I’ve uncovered something I’ve always believed at my very core, but have often layered with blankets of busyness: simplifying is incredibly powerful. In establishing laser-sharp, uncomplicated goals, I’ve suddenly gotten very clear about A Lot of Things, a lot of really exciting things in fact. In simplifying my life – just a little, not too much – two opportunities have presented themselves to me in the past week, shimmering with promise and delight… and the best part is, there’s been enough space in my life to accept them.

I’ve said it a bajillion times before but it’s worth repeating: big shifts happen when we set intentions and meet those intentions halfway with action. 

Last week my focus was creativity. I spent the week visualising the words “creative flow” on waking each day – my morning ritual – and I had fun crafting decorations for my birthday (sneak peeks above).

Ramai and I went stick hunting, I marvelled at the grandness of nature in all its divine beauty, I wrote love-soaked observations in my Moleskine and I felt more creative all week. I became it, letting it sit gently on my skin.

This week, the spotlight’s on DREAMIN’ + SCHEMIN.’ New vision boards, new affirmations, moodboards for my blog redesign, mind mapping and a kinesiology sesh thrown in for good measure!

I’D LOVE TO KNOW: how are you going with your goals so far? What will you focus on this week? Share away in the comments below!