I remember being in a group of people recently, who were discussing their travels.  One person recounted her travels to 70 countries; another person said they had 'only' been to 40! I had to quickly vacate the group before having to reveal my very low  number! 🫤

This started me thinking about goal setting and intentions.  How much do we do things because they meet our needs vs doing things because we think we should, or to portray an ideal image to others?

How do you feel when you achieve something? Do you feel satisfaction, completion, peace of mind - or do you instantly think of the next goal to reach and actually feel empty inside?

If it's the latter, noticing is the first and important step.   

When we compare our situations with others unfavourably, this can often signify a lack of self-compassion; not a lack of achievement. 

Next time you have a goal in mind; a list of tasks - take a breath and look at each item and see what comes up:

 - imagine achieving that task, would you feel lighter? 

What shows up in your body - tension or flow?

What voice do you hear - the critic or the friend?

Try this exercise and see what comes up - you might be surprised at the findings. This is a positive step in showing yourself self-compassion and mindful intention.