Friday, May 23, 2014

Making Time for Reflection

Often what we say is important to us differs from where we spend our time. It's only when look back later do we see any disconnects. Writing in a journal and/or compiling lists are popular ways to chronicle one's life, but lately I'm preferring more visual snapshots.

The ordinary elevated equals life.

When it comes to reflection I have a hard time pausing long enough. In mid-March, I recognized the value of keeping a journal and decided to chronicle my journey of re-starting my business. Yet, while I realize it's important, I've averaged about two to three entries every other week.
 

My Last Nine: a Visual Weekly Journal

Instead, I find myself turning more and more to my iPhone and to Instagram. My new found preference for visual "scrapbooking" of my life is surprising as I've always been one to prefer prose, wanting to examine a character's motivation and life story in excruciating detail. Maybe it's a result of becoming a parent, long uninterrupted stretches where I can ponder life and write about have become a thing of the past, or of cultivating a 20-minute creativity practice.
 

My Last 9: A Visual Weekly Journal

 

Whatever the reason, Instagram (or the camera roll on my iPhone) has become a visual journal for me. You can see my shares on Instgram as well as other people's shares, by viewing the mylastnine or mylast9 tags on Iconosquare.

  • March 22nd: I wasn't on Instagram much this week. (Took photos but I didn't share.) I'll be back with my regular series this week. // #mylast9 - a cool project I found from @beemer123
  • March 29th: How do you review your week? I discovered #mylast9 last week and liked it so much that I'm going to do it weekly going forward. // It's a neat way to see what caught your eye (I was surprised by the pink this week). I use Instacollage to group the 9 images and then share here. Super easy.
  • April 5th: Forgot to post this earlier. #mylast9
  • April 20th: Enjoying this Sunday morning moment thinking about all the positive experiences this past week. I am very lucky. #mylastnine (Forgot to do this last Saturday and I've already synced my phone and deleted the photos.)
  • April 26th: Enjoying a quiet moment reflecting on my week before putting away the phone to engage fully with Gates. // I have a pretty amazing life filled with amazing people. #mylastnine
  • May 3rd: April flew by! It's sad to see the #perception_collection and #elevatetheordinary Instagram challenges come to completion, but I'm excited for what May will bring. #mylastnine
  • May 10th: A week highlighted by #altforeveryone and #6fo4havenotwant // #mylastnine
  • May 18th: Taking time this morning to reflect on the past week. Sad that we had our last session of The Mentorship Coterie with @hilaryrushford // Relieved that I changed the guidelines of the #6for4havenotwant challenge to ones that worked for me instead of stressing me out // What were your highs/lows last week? #mylastnine

How do you mark what's important?
Do you reflect weekly?
 
genuinely eden

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Credits: All layouts designed by and images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.