Small Shifts for Big Changes in 2021
2021 is here! We have successfully and triumphantly accomplished arguably one of the biggest obstacles of our lives through this COVID-19 year. But, we made it, we helped others make it, and now we are stronger than ever for whatever is next. On a smaller scale, this means New Year Resolutions are being frantically scribbled and shared right about now. From hiking the tallest mountains to changing our diet routines to taking longer strolls around the block--we all look forward to an exciting, more knowledgeable, awesomely diversified us!
The RMO family has come together to share some of our motivation behind this new launch of our Small Shifts Campaign with methods and things that make us happy every day. Although large goals are amazing, we came to the realization that after such an impactful year, small shifts in our everyday lives are just what we need to develop long-term and surprising new passions in our lives. From little daily notes of self-affirmation, to (really!) putting our phones down for a while, we decided we could do this. And so can you!
For the next five days, we will be doing these small shifts right along your side! Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and/or Pinterest for a look into why and how we are making these little shifts in our routines! And as always, we want to know how you’re doing with these challenges and if you have any questions for us along the way. Tune in to our live sessions on our social media channels, or leave us a comment below to share what new changes you’re making this year!
DAY 1: Visualization Exercises
Visualization is a very powerful tool for inspiring positive change, as it allows you to imagine your goals coming to life, as well as the steps necessary to overcome specific obstacles. This practice is done to help us formulate a big plan for ourselves and imagine it coming true — one small visualization at a time.
To begin, we challenge you to close your eyes and let your mind focus on something that you desire. This can be a new job, a fitness goal, or even a fun project you want to complete. In the end, the goal is your own and should be unique to you.
Next, imagine yourself as having completed this goal. Take a few moments to see through the eyes of your future self. How do you feel? Who is around you? What does your environment look like? And most importantly, how did you get there?
Think about more questions you can ask yourself to envision the future you and what you have accomplished by then. It doesn’t have to be career-based, or anything too specific if you don’t want it to. It can be a state of emotion you would like to achieve. You are in charge of your own rules and your future goal. You got this!
Pro tip: Share your commitment to this challenge on your favorite social media channel. Feeling that sense of accountability helps us come through for any goal. You can also get someone in on your goal! Doing activities with others, especially ones that are challenging, not only helps us gain a greater appreciation of others and deepen our connection to them, but it also helps us triumph in any task with joy, ease, and motivation!
Now that you have a visualization of the future you and you’ve added accountability to your challenge, it’s time to keep up the momentum with a visual representation of your goal(s)! Create a physical, concrete plan of action and set it all out on a vision board. There’s nothing more magical than the passion and excitement our hearts have for life!
Happy mapping!
DAY 2: Affirmations and Self-Reflection
Turning over a new leaf can be incredibly exciting, but we understand fully just how hectic life can become, and how hard we can be on ourselves when we start to lose momentum. It’s during this time when motivation wanes that we need the reminder to be kind to our bodies and our minds.
While affirmations are similar to New Year’s resolutions, in that they help bring about change, you’ll find that the act of practicing daily affirmations is actually quite different from the traditional make-it-or-break-it promises that we often find ourselves making at the beginning of each year.
So, what are affirmations?
In short, affirmations are consciously chosen words or phrases you can use to help you shift into a more healthy, happy, and an overall positive mindset. These phrases can be as direct or open as you need them to be, but should always reflect positive energy and be meaningful to you.
Self-reflection is incredibly powerful and can lead to making more healthy choices and accomplishing your goals without being tied to unrealistic expectations. For inspiration, try speaking these 10 affirmations out loud to yourself in a mirror each day, and take note of how you feel each day by downloading and completing this daily self-reflection checklist. You can also try out the following affirmation guides and personalize it to your own life and elements that make you feel complete:
- Check in with yourself and make a little booklet with random thoughts and words of things you like or make you feel good.
- Make a light-hearted note of your/you and your family’s “10 Sacred Proclamations”. For example:
“Never ignore your gut
Always trust the universe
Don’t shy away from opportunities
Explore new things
There’s always a solution to everything
Always say yes to cheesecake
Never say no to flan
Love your fur babies
Never hold things in
Always remember you have each other”
Pro tip: Frame it in an area in your home where it can radiate that same positive and beautiful energy you emitted when you/you and your family were writing it. This will steal little smiles out of everyone throughout the day! Smiles = happiness!
- Put together a list of your favorite inspirational quotes!
“I don’t care what happens because it could all be taken away anyway...but who cares. You can’t just stop living.” - Doret from The Carrie Diaries
“Re-examine all you have been told at school, or church, or in any book. Dismiss whatever insults your own soul” - Walt Whitman
“I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.” - Lucille Ball
“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” - Ayn Rand
“Give yourself permission to start waking up to the things you want… create energy that will help draw all your heart’s desires to you. Set that as an intention.” - Phoenix Vincent
For a more in-depth look into the power of affirmations, join our co-founder Phoenix, as she shares the power of affirmations through guided aroma tapping.
DAY 3: Moving In The Sun
Fresh air is one of the purest forms of refreshing your head! Valuing time outside work or outside the home can bring us new perspectives and opportunities to try out new activities and ways of looking at the world around us!
This challenge is going to involve a simple pause for 15 minutes to go and move around in the sun. There are no real requirements here other than to live those 15 minutes out there, in the world, being present. While you’re getting ready to absorb some Vitamin D, remember to pack that sunscreen and apply it 15 minutes before going outside. That way you can ensure that the product is ready to battle those damaging UV rays.
Some ideas our team has shared for getting out there and moving include:
- Yoga
If you’re a beginner, try out some fun poses like our favorite “Downward Dog”, going into “Cobra” and following with the “Cat-Cow” pose. Refer to this easy pose guide and try a combination of poses that allow your body to really stretch, relax, and reconnect with you.
- Stretching
When you lay on the ground, there’s a certain feeling of being grounded that takes over. Take this moment to close your eyes and feel the warmth of the sun over your eyelids. If this moment turns into meditation, that’s okay--in fact, it’s perfect. Do what comes naturally. Raise your right leg with your left leg resting on the ground. Reach up with your hands and bring your knee towards you. Do this with your left leg now and keep your right leg resting on the ground. Bring your left knee towards you. Do this intermediately for 30 seconds each. Feel your muscles relaxing and stretching more with ease each time.
Try sitting on the ground now and stretch your arms. Bring the right across your chest while your left presses it against you. Bring your right arm over your head and have your left one help you stretch. Now switch and do the same. Stretch out your legs in front of you if you haven’t already and reach for your toes. It’s okay if you stop halfway in the distance. Just feel your muscles enjoy the stretch and keep enjoying the warmth and beauty of mother nature.
- Walking
Easy as that! Walk around your neighborhood, or try visiting a new area of the city or town you live in and notice the beautiful scenery around you. Simply walking raises your immune strength! Notice the birds, leaves, the people. Take a few minutes to just walk and feel nature invite you on a small adventure. Remember to breathe in and out, deep breaths, and let go. Let your worries, racing thoughts, lingering conversations in your head go. Walk with the intention of simply being, in this time and in this space.
- Light Exercise
Don’t let the word “exercise” intimidate you from trying a simple, easy, and short routine that can help aching joints, soothing tight muscles, and even improve your posture! If you’re not entirely the exercise type, not to worry, a lot of us share the same sentiment and have also included a list of activities you can enjoy while receiving some of the benefits of Vitamin D like keeping our bones and heart happy and promoting a healthy immune system.
Other ideas to try that are prone to keep you out longer than you thought!
- Take your Bicycle for a Spin!
- Hula-Hoop to your Favorite Songs!
- Give your Fur Baby Some Sun Time
- Hike and Explore New Places
- Have a Photography Adventure
- Picnic in the Sun
- Lay in a Hammock
- Podcast and Walk
DAY 4: Let’s Take It To A New Zone
Trying new hobbies or trying something new, something that gets you out of your comfort zone is a lovely way to start day #4 in our five-day challenge. How many times have we promised ourselves we would really go zip lining this year, but never do! Well, you don’t have to do this alone. We’ll begin today by asking a very important question: what is something you want to try this week that you’ve never done before? We’ll be checking in with you this day with a poll on our Instagram channel, we want to hear from all of you! Remember there are no wrong answers, just excitement to try new things together!
Our RMO family has shared some of the most helpful ways they’ve succeeded in giving their hearts and bodies some gratitude, rest, and a fiery drive to pursue their passions. Check out this awesome artwork by our Graphic Designer, Erin, for a look into what our RMO family has come up with from their own lives. We’ve included some examples and ideas below as well for further inspiration. Feel free to try whichever ones you connect to — happy explorations!
Challenges to try something new for a week:
- A DIY
- A recipe / new foods
- A new exercise
- A New Craft
- A New Sport
- A Different Type of Fashion: Thrift it! (Payton Wintle )
- A New Music Genre
- A New Movie Genre
- A New Dance Style, or Dance in General!
- A New Thrill: Surfing! (Our wonderful GD Erin Woodruff !)
- Taking Care of a Plant (Payton Wintle )
- Hiking Somewhere New (Sarah O'Shea )
- Exploring Historical Places (Sarah O'Shea )
Amazing contributions from our Extraordinaire Customer Service Rep Sarah O'Shea in Florida:
I love lists like this, I got a semi-long one, here we go
blind contour drawings (not supposed to be good, just fun)
learning how to play a song you like
Thrifting!
taking care of plants
going outside with a camera and a route. just go nuts with it
calling even the smallest of hangouts a "party"
Amazing contributions from our amazing Production Supervisor Kenna Grobergin Utah:
ROCK CLIMBING!!!!
Painting murals
I love canyoneering, I would love to do a multi-day canyon, that would be magical.
Going and random adventures in the wilderness
Working out and getting buff :P
Organizing anything and upping my quality of life
DAY 5: Digital Detox
Detaching yourself from digital media can be difficult, but in this day and age where digital media is all around us, it may almost seem impossible. What’s beautiful about it is that we gain a different level of connection with the people and things around us when we practice digital detoxification. Surprise yourself with new ways of doing things or finding activities you like! You can “detox” easily when eating; placing your phone or television aside can give you some room for eating outside and enjoying the sun. Even just stepping outside on your balcony or patio if you have one, and enjoy the fresh air.
However easy, intermediate, or difficult this could be for you, we’ve provided a few ideas of what we love to do when taking a break from screens and shifting gears for a while!
- 5 Minute Meditation
- Spending more quality time with ourselves
- Spending more quality time with loved ones
- Read for 15 minutes
- Listen to your favorite podcast
- Catch up on those chores!
- Free-writing
Amazing contributions from our Social Media Specialist Stefani Angy in Florida:
Do something that scares you
Do ballet whenever people are dancing
Don’t dilute yourself just so people like you more
Acknowledge your flaws and embrace them
Get dressed up and take yourself out on a date
Go camping
Amazing contributions from our Quality Manager Courtney Burton in Utah:
Dirt Road with the windows down and the radio up.
Laugh until you can't breathe, over the dumbest jokes.
Lay in a hammock and watch the clouds roll by
Road Trips, even a 20 minute one with music that you just can’t help but start a solo dance party of one
Spend the day in a bookstore
Cuddles, literally of all kinds. Doggo? Cuddle it. Best Friend? Cuddle em. Catto? Attempt to cuddle it.
Let’s take it up another level! Think about what you liked about social media or having your phone. Try the same/similar activities but in real life!
- Editing images and writing captions on IG, FB, etc.-> Instead, take Polaroids or pictures and print them out, write some words/phrases/sentences about it.
- Listening to music on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, etc.-> listen to live bands/artists, make your own music, learn to play an instrument, write lyrics, sing!
- Catching up with others through social media -> Now with COVID19 regulations: Catch up with others through letters, in-person (but at a distance), and/or take drives together in separate cars.
We’ve reached day five! How do you feel? What were your favorite moments and/or takeaways? We can tell you with certainty these have been the best five days of this new year for us. From pushing our dreams and aspirations into reality, to learning and doing new things, to getting reacquainted with the sun and even stepping out of our comfort zone, we have done it.
If you ever feel like you want to expand on elements from this week, make a list of things you’ve always wanted to try or continue doing. Make it big and make it as weird and authentic and free as you possibly can. This helps a lot when starting (or continuing) to explore social media detox, getting out of one’s comfort zone, and/or remembering what made one’s life full. Whenever we hit a rough patch or a rough day/time of our life it helps to refer to these to avoid feeling depleted. It is also an incredibly powerful list to have for any day! Let it bring you joy, passion, and motivation always!
We cannot wait for what this year has in store. Are you ready? #smallshiftschallenge