6 gifts for a more productive and creative 2019
Each member of Nomadways core team made a little challenge for you. Here they are.
We gather in the beginning of each year to meet, remember our most remarkable moments of the previous year and plan the new one. During these times of reflection, we always come with some new ideas how to make our lives and work better in many ways — on personal and professional level.
This time we met in Barcelona and there, under the January sun, we came up with one challenge each: an exercise or a tool for you to use for reflect, team connection and self-development. A gift for ourselves but also to you. Those challenges represent one thing we would like to send you as a gift. So, why not take a few moments to enjoy them!
For 2019, I wish you less stress, more concentration and relaxation time. To do this, I offer you a tool to reconnect to you and to nature; the mandala in land art!
The practice of the mandala is a very good attention learning method using the framework and the materials of the nature. Depending on your need of the moment, you can do it alone or with others.
Just go for a walk in a park, in the forest and pick up what nature offers us: wood, stone, feathers, leaves, fallen fruits (it is better not to tear the flowers or pick the fruits). Then, find a place that inspires you to create your mandala. Starting from the center, compose circles of patterns with the elements of nature that you have picked up. Enjoy!
Happy New Year everyone !
For 2019, I wish you true connection!
Therefore, here are 3 exercises to help this a little, you can choose one of them, or do them all :)
Giving
Call~mail~send a (self-made) postcard to at least 3 persons that you love, to tell them what matters to you and what you value about them. You can add a small gift or gesture to show them your love! Or maybe, it’s time to invite this long-time-no-see-friend to catch up and have a cup of coffee? If you’re really in the mood, just start giving compliments to complete strangers, or anyone you meet with.
Hope to see you soon at Homade, sharing true connection!
With love,
Claire.
Receiving
Ask 3 persons what they value about you. If you think it’s a bit scary to ask this, you can tell them that you have been challenged to ask this. You can use and adapt this text to do so!
‘Dear… ‘
I have been challenged by #nomadways to ask you for 3 qualities that you value about me. I’m curious, if you would like to share something? What I like about you is…..
By the way, it’s been a long time we haven’t met! Let’s have a coffee soon!
The Compliment shower
It can be used for teambuilding, we have done this with our team towards the end of our teamretreat in Barcelona and it’s so nice to receive!
One person stands in the middle, the rest of the group is standing around, and anyone can share compliments about the person receiving. Just make sure that there is enough trust in the group before you introduce this exercise. You can use it to end your training or adapt it in a way that is suiting the moment! We have done eyegazing before — check Valentin’s challenge about this!
A little challenge to strengthen the team connection:
Watch each other, pair by pair, in the eyes for 1 to 3 minutes, silently. A simple eye contact, without saying anything. Then, share a few words if you feel the need … then change your partner.
I wish you to celebrate this new adventure that happens, no matter the way! I wish you a wonderful year, in the joy of co-creation!
For 2019, I wish you gratitude! To help that feeling to blossom, I invite you to enrich this gratitude sun, starting by naming all the people who love you, and then doing a little time travel through 2018, writing down something that happened each month that you feel grateful for :) …now let’s be grateful for 2019 and enjoy the hell out of this year!
For 2019, I wish you focus and self-care! At some points we tend to undertake so many things that excite us that we tend to lose ourselves in the process. We are overwhelmed with information, challenges, things not to miss out… Well, at some point our soul and body get tired. I challenge you to take of yourself this year — focus on what’s important to you and take care of your (mental) health.
What helped me focus once, was this little “Productivity Meter”. Here is how it works:
1.Write down 3–5 professional projects you are working on right now, or have to start working this year. Things that bring you money and you need to do them to keep your life sustainable.
2.Write down 3–5 non-professional projects that are important to you and your self-development — such as French language lessons or singing workshops.
3.Write down 3–5 personal things that also take of your time but keep you healthy and feeling good — such as sports, walks, vacations, going out with friends, attending concerts..
Now, have a look at all of those. Pick 2 of each category that are most important for you. Maybe it is time to focus only them, so you can be better at them? Maybe you work on too many projects and get distracted and burned out? Maybe this tool will make you focus. I challenge you to try it out ;-)
In 2019 enjoy simplicity! Eliminate all but the essentials, eschew chaos for peace and spend your time doing what’s important for you! Inspired by Aleksander’s gamification TC and Chari’s origami workshop, I created a fortune-teller game that helps you to keep a simple life. I hope you will enjoy it!
Instructions:
1.Print and cut round outside of menko fortune teller
2.Design facing up fold in half vertically and unfold
3.Design facing up fold in half horizontally and unfold
4.Design facing down, fold each corner to the center
5.Flip paper over
6.Fold each corner to the center
7.Crease along center lines into a square
8.Unfold to step 7, insert fingers under each flap & shape final fortune-teller
How to use:
Pick number from 1 to 9. Open and close the fortune teller that number of times. Then pick illustration from the next layer, count the number of letters in the word and again count out through opening and closing. Read your final reveal…
About Nomadways
We craft international workshops for artists, educators and youth workers. Together we create pedagogical artwork, share and invent practical solutions to social problems.
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