Every day that you wake up you have the opportunity to reorient your existence. You absolutely possess the power to decide that the direction your life is heading in no longer serves you nor aligns with what you desire for yourself. It doesn’t mean that you are ungrateful for what you have. You can be grateful and still desire more out of yourself, your surroundings, your relationships and whatever you put your energy into. That modification can be as major or minor as you see fit. Collectively, we see this commonly around the new year with resolutions an
d the concept of new year, new me. The new year welcomes a sense of reflection and reconstruction which is necessary for our evolution as a person. Though the new year is a great time to implement positive change, it is not the only time in which doing so is possible or encouraged. A single 24-hour day represents a fresh beginning and an end. Each day you are closer to transitioning out of this realm, therefore it is never too late to walk in alignment with your deepest desires until it actually is too late. I once read a quote that said “it is not that life is short and unpredictable…it is just that people wait too long to learn how to live and enjoy life to the fullest.” and my whole perspective instantly switched. At that moment I concluded that I wasn’t satisfied with how I was leading my life and the only way to embody who and what I wanted to be I needed to adjust and take action immediately. Since then, I’ve made a habit to reflect on my journey through journaling, decide if I am content or not, then integrate or rearrange aspects as I see fit. I recognize beginnings, ends, and opportunities to change all throughout the year and keep track of it in my journal. These moments materialize during the change of seasons, astrological transits, the lunar cycle marking the time between a new moon and a full moon, and as we’ll be discussing today the beginning of a new month.
With the lunar eclipse season that happened June 5-July 5, 2020, a new portal of consciousness opened while another shut. Being grounded and in-tune with nature and the cycles of the moon I was effected by this shift which lead me to surrender and welcome change and transformation in my life. I opened new doors (this blog being one of them) and closed others. August is going to be a month of new opportunities and essentially a new normal for me. To adequately prepare myself a monthly focus and journal session is essential. I use this format (I included a picture) monthly to articulate my goals and visions and to have something to reference if I steer away from my path. You do not need a physical notebook in order to journal. You can use the notes app, do a voice memo, or even record a video of you speaking; I encourage any and all forms! I invite you to join me in setting your motivation for the upcoming month and refer to this guide as we continue to orbit around the sun. New Month, New Motivation.
Determine a Monthly Focus
Your focus is the single word or short phrase that you want to embody for the upcoming month. I find it important to not limit your focus to one specific goal but instead have a theme. What are you inspired to do? Are you trying to stack up your coin and have a healthy bank account? A good word for you may be ABUNDANCE. Maybe you’re wanting to educate yourself or focus on your studies making a possible focus be KNOWLEDGE. Following a theme allows multiple goals to fall under this category as well as embraces more blessings of that nature. What do you want to accomplish and what theme does that align with? This month, I am inspired to express my creativity throughout art and writing. I want to use my voice to heal and educate and also avoid self-sabotaging. It is Leo season which is a wonderful time to shine my light and express who I am openly. For that reason, my August focus is Expression.
Support the Theme with a Quote
This can be a quote or a string of affirmations but you want it to be something that resonates with the theme. Affirmations are statements that you repeat to yourself to rewire your way of thinking, eliminate negative thoughts, and speak on qualities that you already emulate or aspire to. Instead of telling yourself “I can be so lazy” you could instead say “I am so productive! I accomplish everything on my to-do list” thus affirming that you already are what you want to be. Words shape your reality. I use a string of affirmations that I repeat frequently to remind myself of my goal and to bring it into fruition. To support my focus of Expression, my quote states “I express myself openly and freely. I flow with the creative energy of my heart and I shine my light unapologetically. I do not fear being misunderstood because I understand myself.”
Journaling Prompts 
Now the fun part, this is where we get into what you ACTUALLY want and how you PLAN to get it done. The following questions can be included but are not limited to what you ask yourself in order to bring your vision to life:
- What goals do I have for this month?
- What daily habits should I incorporate to uphold this goal?
- How do I want to feel?
- What traits do I currently possess that embody my focus?
- What do I need to let go of for this goal to manifest?
- What am I looking forward to this upcoming month?
- Why do I want this? How will it benefit my life?
- What do I hope to achieve by the end of the upcoming month?
How you answer these prompts is completely up to you. I tend to use a list format with three bullet points for each question. You can also go into detail and provide in depth answers in paragraph form. For me, having three bullet points allows me to narrow down what is really important and what I need to prioritize. If there’s something I really want to add just for fun I’ll star it and note it as my bold goal; I keep it on my radar but it is not my main drive.
More Affirmations and Manifestations
Scripting is a Law of Attraction method in which you write exactly what you want, as if it has already happened and believing that it is your reality. This practice allows you to step into that reality and sense how you’d really feel when your goal is met. If you manifest from a place of gratitude you put out high vibrational energy that attracts that goal to you. Again, words shape your reality and if its meant for you, it won’t miss you. Your brain believes what you tell it and if you claim abundance you will manifest abundance. I like to keep a separate manifestation journal that is strictly for scripting. With that being said, in this particular journal entry I script three to four affirmations and manifestations that also support my theme. For my Expression focus that looks something like this:
Affirmations
- I am creative and expressive
- I am gifted and use my talents for good
- I am supported in all my endeavors
I won’t share my manifestations and you shouldn’t either unless you're doing so in a supportive space as to allow them to unfold without the interruption of potential negative energy…not everyone wants to see you flourish. Above all, you must continue to put in the work in order for your vision to happen, it will not come out of no where. It is important to surrender; surrender your expectations and trust that you are supported and everything will come together in perfect harmony.
Throughout the month, especially towards the end, I find it important to review the progress that I’ve made. Sometimes I achieve most of the goals, sometimes I achieve one, and sometimes none. Your focus can alter literally the next week because you have the power to say so. You can never plan exactly how things will happen in your life so it is important to center your attention on what you can control. What’s meant for you won’t miss you. Maybe this just wasn’t the month that you accomplished said goal because you accomplished something else! Things and plans change and you’re doing your best. If something doesn’t happen according to your plan just know that wasn’t the plan. Please let me know in the comments what your next New month, New motivation focus is and how this guide benefited you! You are exactly where you are meant to be and the universe has a plan for you. Focus on what you can control and let go of the rest. I wish you a happy month and a happy life. May all your dreams and endeavors come to fruition in divine timing. Peace, love, and enjoy your magical life.
-SMB