(a bit long sorryyy!) I’ve been taking the last few days to re-visit some of the recordings from the challenge and consolidate some of my notes from each session. Soooo much info and good stuff to be taken from each of the days that re-visiting and reflecting has allowed me to identify what really resonates and find what is/will continue to be most helpful and effective for me. The last day of this challenge focused on finding a 3-month-goal which proved to be very difficult for me because there’s so much I want to work on, that picking just one has taken me this long lol. I found what really helped to choose the goal that was most important to me, was the idea of a feeling-based or ‘internal’ goal. Focusing on how I want to FEEL 3 months from now, (at the mid-point of this year eek!) allowed me to discover what it is that I really want by the end of June- as opposed to what I feel like I SHOULD be working on, SHOULD be achieving or maybe even being influenced by what others are doing. I also found that the various actions/checkpoints I’ve created for my goal has made me quite excited to have something to work toward. Having kept joy and ease at the forefront when deciding on these actions, means hopefully I can enjoy the process and foster the energy and growth that will allow me to feel the way I hope to 3 months from now. What a gift to dedicate a little pocket of time each day to intentionally find joy while simultaneously pursuing a bigger goal/purpose! The sessions in this challenge sparked some big shifts in my mindset which I wasn’t really expecting. I want to keep leaning into that with this 3-month goal (and beyond!) instead of defaulting back to the overly critical and negative space that we so often find ourselves in and get used to as our ‘normal’. At a certain point I think the familiarity tricks us into believing we can find solace in our self-deprecation that our classic Aussie, nonchalant, tall-poppy-syndrome-ridden society encourages so much. Especially in such a demanding industry where we are constantly in environments of heightened physical and emotional stressors, I think a lot of people just accept their negative mindset for what it is and dub it ‘part of the job’. I hope this generation and this community can be a beacon of change for the renowned notion that artists suffer. I personally, while still freshly graduated, am already tired of tearing myself apart with the passion and ambition to pursue what I love, grappling against the fear of being judged for merely trying.