One thing at a time

I went to my local yoga studio yesterday, The Giving Tree Yoga Studio, to both observe a kids yoga class I'll be subbing in the next few weeks as well as to practice with one of my favorite teachers, Angelina.  I was so happy to be stepping into the peaceful, gorgeous studio after a long morning and afternoon of what I had labeled in my calendar as: BUSINESS PLAN DAY.   (Sounds fun and peaceful, doesn't it?)

As I walked up the stairs I noticed the studio's selected Quote of the Month:
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." - Lao Tzu

We've all heard/read/spoken this quote before.  It's one of those things that's so woven into the fabric of our consciousness that we don't always really process it.  However, that doesn't make it any less true or any less worth repeating.  Often.

I mentioned in my New Year's post that my giant list of resolutions tends to be a daunting thing every year, with this year being absolutely no exception (it's possibly the most ambitious year ever).  Having begun the very, very unfinished work on my business plan for Thai Yoga Massage, I'm faced with yet another page of To Do, To Achieve, To Practice, To Figure Out.  It's daunting, and the temptation in the present moment of being overwhelmed is to stay still.  Usually while you're staying still, your mind is going a thousand miles a minute telling you why things are confusing or impossible.

I found it helped me to stop focusing on my To Do's and goals and aspirations for a minute, close my eyes, and think of the simple vinyasa of a sun salutation.  With each breath, there's a movement.  Inhale, the arms come up.  Exhale, forward fold.  Inhale, straighten your spine to a flat back.  Exhale, hands on the floor to step back into downward facing dog.

One breath, one movement.  One thing at a time.  As an admitted compulsive planner and one who absolutely detests procrastination, I tend to overplan, overbook myself, and be overly ambitious.  Even this blog, which is supposed to be an outlet for myself, sometimes falls victim to my list of "Things I have to do and don't have time to do and wish I just didn't have to do."  I wish it didn't, but, alas.  The important thing is to remind myself why it's important - whatever "it" is, whether it be the blog, business cards, or meditating in the morning.

This morning as I was up and about making breakfast for Marc before he had to leave for work, I came into the Nook (our little office where I write my entries and do my home practice and work) and saw my notebook open to the page I had left it yesterday - a page full of business planning, about which he knew I was stressed.

Placed on top of it was a big orange post-it with a note in Marc's unmistakable scrawl:  "YOU CAN DO ALL OF THIS!  AND YOU WILL!"

The boost it gave me was remarkable, and it was a reminder that we all have to be able to give that boost to ourselves.  Replacing "have to" with "can" and "will," being patient with whatever time we have to devote to our goals and obligations, and taking things one step - and breath - at a time.