What a Year of Writing Down Weekly Life Lessons Has Taught Me

It was a year ago that I got the idea to start each Sunday morning writing down a lesson I learned from the previous week. Sometimes it was silly, sometimes it was meaningful, but it reflected my inner world and a commitment I made to myself two years ago to try to learn something new each week and to cultivate continued self awareness and self discovery. That sounds big and lofty but the truth is the decision to do this didn’t really feel big or intimidating. I simply did it as part of my workflow before I started my to do list for the coming week.

Now, that may sound strange or less romantic than some grandiose plan, but I rarely if ever keep large commitments or resolutions because they intimidate me and shockingly, integrating this into my workflow stuck. Each week I took less than 30 seconds on my ‘Lesson a Week’ Notion tab to reflect on the past week and then move onto writing out a long and never-ending to do list for the coming week. It became a grounding practice for me - a way to look at the minutiae of a collection of weekly tasks, the mundane and sometimes tedious task lists of each week and uncover the lessons in the every day. To pull up out of the details and view my life from a more reflective lens without needing some big yogic retreat or vapassana leave of absence to do so. Now, I’m not trying to knock any of those practices but I loved how simple and easy this was to integrate.

As I typed out my lesson for last week, a simple five words, “we can do hard things”, I looked to the top of my ‘Lesson a Week’ tab and realized…I’d completed an entire year of lessons. I sat amazed, 52 weeks of lessons, 52 lessons that mark joyous and difficult times over the past year: a cancelled wedding, loss of my partner’s grandmothers, family drama, rediscovering my passions, amazing family vacations, lazy summer weeks and so much more.

When I look back at these lessons it makes life just that much more beautiful because I was able to make each moment meaningful through this practice. If you’re looking for a simple practice to add to your self care routine I’d highly recommend it! Below are my 52 lessons if you want to check it out and I hope you enjoy integrating this into your own practice!

52 Lessons I Learned From a Dedicated Weekly Reflection Practice

LESSON 1 (w/o March 28th): Keep standing up for yourself - when you do space opens up for you.

LESSON 2 (w/o April 5th): Equanimity is a daily practice that helps you to stay centered.

LESSON 3 (w/o April 12th): I'm stronger than I think.

LESSON 4 (w/o April 19th): Persistence, even if it doesn't pay off is a wonderful exercise in discipline and grit, change comes in small steps, beauty can be in much if you only look for it.

LESSON 5 (w/o April 26th): Even a few days reset is magical for your health and wellbeing.

LESSON 6 (w/o May 3rd): Family - even when they drive you absolutely nuts is and always will be one of the most important elements of your life.

LESSON 7 (w/o May 10th): To be loved, to feel love repeatedly every day is such a fulfilling gift.

LESSON 8 (w/o May 17th): Feel your emotions- all of them, good and bad, no matter how difficult they may be.

LESSON 9 (w/o May 24th): Express your boundaries, don't wait. It may just be the knife people were waiting for to cut the tension.

LESSON 10 (w/o May 31st): When you realize that you are only responsible for your own actions and cannot control the actions others take - you free up so much energy to do more of what serves you- release control of the universe.

LESSON 11 (w/o June 6th): A place that feels like home is not always found in a Crate & Barrel couch or new dishes, it can be found in your partner's laugh, in the tune of made up songs, in the way his voice softens when saying goodnight.

LESSON 12 (w/o June 14th): Adulthood is a constant dance between thinking you've got this thing down and feeling like you're about to totally lose it and breakdown.

LESSON 13 (w/o June 21st): Smile, breathe, and go slowly.

LESSON 14 (w/o June 28th): When you are finally doing something you've always dreamed about- don't freak out, don't think you're not worthy, don't second guess yourself. You have been training for this, trust yourself and the universe. You got this.

LESSON 15 (w/o July 5th): Even when you plan everything perfectly, something will inevitably blow it all up. Preparation is good but being able to find equanimity when you've gone through every possible plan is even more important. You are the sky, not the weather.

LESSON 16 (w/o July 12th): Remember your village. You might not see them all the time but they come exactly when needed.

LESSON 17 (w/o July 19th): If we stop being afraid of sadness and hold it a little closer we might discover that sadness represents how we've been touched and moved by the world.

LESSON 18 (w/o July 26th): Life isn't linear. It isn't all planned out and worrying about the future or the past is going to drive you nuts. The more you stay in the present the more you can truly feel what it means to be human.

LESSON 19 (w/o August 2nd): Sometimes our conscious mind can analyze and explain to perfection - but we get so cerebral we can't tap into the actual feelings we need to work through. Drop into the subconscious- allow clarity to come through not through analysis but through feeling.

LESSON 20 (w/o August 9th): When life feels hard or upsetting- find the little moments of joy that bring you back to yourself.

LESSON 21 (w/o August 16th): Find even the smallest moments to do what sets your soul on fire daily.

LESSON 22 (w/o August 23rd): Family is there when you need it and don't expect it, always a safety net to fall back on when needed.

LESSON 23 (w/o August 30th): The turn of the seasons can be a magical time for transitions- honor the shift in your own internal environment as much as the seasons change externally.

LESSON 24 (w/o September 5th): Healthy food can be a comfort too- find nourishment and make it your home.

LESSON 25 (w/o September 12th): Be patient- sometimes time is the best healer if we simply allow it to be.

LESSON 26 (w/o September 19th): You can't tackle everything all at once, even if all the problems seem really big, we're not built to multitask so focus on one thing at a time.

LESSON 27 (w/o September 27th): When someone gets angry- it's an indication that their childhood wounds are being confronted, 90% of the time its not about you so keep your boundaries up and don't let it get to you.

LESSON 28 (w/o October 4th): Being alone in your thoughts is really hard but necessary, find days or weeks when you can be and try not to distract yourself. Move through what comes up to ultimately help yourself.

LESSON 29 (w/o October 11th): When you're feeling lost in quiet remember that fashion can be a great way to live loud.

LESSON 30 (w/o October 18th): There is a huge difference between connecting to function and connecting to be emotionally ignited. The first is nice. The second will nourish your soul and make you shine brighter.

LESSON 31 (w/o October 25th): When you feel lost, picture what message you'd want to be sending if you were being broadcast into every home as a reality tv show? Align your actions to that.

LESSON 32 (w/o November 1st): There can often be tradeoffs between safety and freedom, and many people may use safety as a front for limiting freedom. Dare to go beyond safety, seek freedom.

LESSON 33 (w/o November 8th): Witch and wisdom come from the same base word. Somehow - we forget the wisdom that comes from the magic of imagination and interconnectivity as we grow up. Embrace the magic of the universe.

LESSON 34 (w/o November 15th): Listen to your intuition. It will guide you exactly where you need to go.

LESSON 35 (w/o November 22nd): We need human interaction- it is what helps us thrive. Virtual screens are not enough- we need to be in other peoples energies, immersed, connected through time and space.

LESSON 36 (w/o November 29th): The best laid plans will be disrupted, all you can do is roll with the punches and try to be grateful for what you have.

LESSON 37 (w/o December 5th): When you need them- family is always there to show you the way back home.

LESSON 38 (w/o December 13th): The only way to find happiness in life is to radically be yourself and believe in yourself, there is no other way.

LESSON 39 (w/o December 20th): Relaxation allows your mind the freedom to wander- and wandering is part of the magic of being human.

LESSON 40 (w/o December 29th): Sometimes laughing really hard over something stupid and silly is better therapy than any meditation or yoga class.

LESSON 41 (w/o January 2nd): Rest can be resistance to capitalism.

LESSON 42 (w/o January 10th): We can all do scary things if only we believe in the power of ourselves to be limitless.

LESSON 43 (w/o January 16th): You can work on all the physical and spiritual wellness you want - but if you can’t express and work through your emotions it’s not going to work.

LESSON 44 (w/o January 23rd): If you don’t take a break your body will choose to do so for you- listen to the warning signs.

LESSON 45 (w/o January 30rd): Slow the fuck down- no seriously. Life gets a lot more beautiful when you do.

LESSON 46 (w/o February 6th): Patience is one of the hardest skills to learn but it is the most worthwhile pursuit to see the magic in slow progress and let the world open up to you bit by bit.

LESSON 47 (w/o February 13th): Traveling- even to a place not too far away is freedom, it gets you outside of your day to day and helps you reconnect to yourself.

LESSON 48 (w/o February 21st): We are meant for community, for exploration, for connection. Find your tribe and go all in.

LESSON 49 (w/o February 28th): Conquering your fears isn’t quite right, we don’t quite conquer with them. We wrestle and run away and wave and cower, but if you can just dance with it a little bit, form a relationship to it, you’ll be able to stand beside your fear which is even braver than conquering it.

LESSON 50 (w/o March 6th): Every once in awhile- you need deep rest. Not the kind that is found during sleep but the kind that is found when turning off the 24/7 digital stream and turning on our sense of adventure, our connection to nature, our eyes resting on a beautiful sunset. Sensorial rest is so restorative.

LESSON 51 (w/o March 13th): Remember that one change, one moment can shift your perspective on everything. Don’t be afraid of it, get curious and listen to what the change is trying to tell you.

LESSON 52 (w/o March 28th): We can do hard things.