Creative tips for planning from a Navajo Psychotherapist in Goodyear, AZ.
I grew up on the Navajo Reservation. My father was in the U.S. Army and moved us home to the Rez when I was 4 or 5. I started kindergarten on the Rez and quickly adapted to the structure for young Navajo women.
My culture emphasizes balance & harmony. A skill I learned from my family, elders and time with Navajo Medicine People is planning. Planning helps create direction. Direction helps establish a process of action supported by belief (& for me-faith).
Psychologists are keen to point out that planning, "frees up cognitive resources for our other pursuits. So, in addition to helping us be more successful with the specific goal we're planning, planning lets us get on with other stuff too." (Pychyl, 2011)
How can this help me?
Many of my patients come to me looking for change. Whether it's to resolve something from the past, a present problem in a relationship (with a spouse, child or employer) or to generally feel better about themselves--they want change.
Because of my upbringing, I love to incorporate creative ways to explore and set goals.
Why now?
Changing seasons can be used as a natural reminder to take stock of where things are and where we'd like them to be.
Any suggestions for what I should try?
One way to do this is to create a vision board. I learned about Christine Kane a few years ago when she showed up in my Amazon feed as a suggested read. I've made many vision boards as part of my personal and professional exploration.
Kane suggests doing a vision board if you want to change your environment or something you want to manifest. To learn the 5 steps to create a vision board, visit her post.
If you'd prefer to have a digital vision board you can create one using VisionBoard.CC
Sources:
Pychyl, T. A. (2011, November 17). The Power of a Plan. Retrieved November 25, 2019, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dont-delay/201111/the-power-plan.
Christine Kane. (2019, November 24). How to make a vision board in 5 easy steps. Retrieved from https://christinekane.com/how-to-make-a-vision-board/.
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