Monday is my Birthday. It also happens to be the Spring Equinox here in the Southern Hemisphere. It also happens to be exactly 100 days until the last day of 2025.
It’s been about six weeks since we said goodbye to Queensland and made the trek back across the country to WA. A decade since I first left Perth with only a suitcase and a wooden crate of books.
This week is the first time I feel like I’ve had space for me, and I’ve decided it’s time for a reset. I’m a Birthday lover. I get so excited for my birthday – not in grand ways but in small, ritualistic ways that allow me to pause on the fact that I’ve just completed another lap around the sun and how bloody lucky I am to live the life I live.
This year it feels a little different. I still carry the same energy but moving into my ‘mid’ to ‘late’ 30s, the clock is ticking loudly. I also recently watched the Summer I Turned Pretty and that has given me all sorts of nostalgia for my teens and early 20s and those first moments of adulthood that are often so clunky and full of choices you now must give yourself so much grace and empathy for. Anyway, I digress. The clock is ticking – and not in a ‘life is behind you’ kind of way but more a – is this where you thought life would be by now? Is this how you thought life would look? Is this fulfilling and joyful or are there things you know you want to change? Because now is the time my friend. You have a whole life still ahead of you and if you’re lucky to live a long life it’s just before half time – what are we going to change up now to make sure the end game is what we envision for ourselves?
I’m a lover of ritual, of making meaning out of moments and seeing the beauty in the little things. Every year on my birthday I get up with the sun, journal, reflect on my year and set intentions for the year ahead. But this year I’d like to do more. I’m feeling the need for a bit of a reset and with all those aligned dates – Equinox, 100 days to new year, etc. I’ve put together a 100-day reset for myself.
I’m not for making life harder for myself with those crazy challenges I’ve seen on social media. This reset is intentional, it is soft, it is focused, and it doesn’t matter if a day is missed – the whole purpose is to gently guide my focus back to the values I’d like to keep central during these 100 days. Some may say it’s the last 100 days till the ‘new year’ – like it is a count down, I say it’s the FIRST 100 days of my year and the FIRST 100 days of the Spring/Summer season – that beautiful light-filled, life-abundant time of year.
So, what am I personally focusing on? I have chosen six core values for this period – Presence, Vitality, Creativity, Courage, Connection and Simplicity.
Ok, great that all sounds lovely – but what does this look like in practice?
For me these values translate to:
Moving for 20 minutes (minimum) every day.
2. Nourishing my body with one intentional choice daily (whether that’s a protein target, going for colour or nutrient profile, skipping things that don’t agree, etc.). This is intentionally flexible to where I’m at in my cycle and what my body is needing from me.
3. Writing or creating for 10 minutes a day.
4. Daily presence practice – meditation, breathwork, mindfulness practice, red-light mask, etc. It could be as simple as five minutes of stillness or a mindful cup of tea. The focus is on building presence and focus while living in a distractable world.
5. Connection touchpoint daily – a conversation or catchup with a friend (in-person or otherwise), fully-engaged time with my kids or partner, etc. It’s not about quantity but quality – sometimes ten minutes on the floor with the kids or a hug or a text conversation is all that’s needed to fill a cup a little.
6. A weekly courageous choice – sharing something out of my comfort zone, pitching myself or putting myself out there in my work, or taking a class I’ve never done before. I’m an introvert, a recovering perfectionist and extremely self-critical - this is a big one haha
7. Simplifying one thing weekly – whether that’s working out a better process, decluttering or organising a space that isn’t quite working for me or doing a life admin task that I have been putting off (like booking that doctor’s appointment). We’re all about keeping it simple over here!
I’ve intentionally kept these broad enough to adapt to my weeks, simple enough to remain achievable and respectful of my body, my needs and the reality of family life. I don’t want it to be a ‘tough’ challenge, I want it to feel nurturing, progressive and stackable. It doesn’t matter if I miss something, the whole point is getting up each morning and prioritising myself and my values. It’s not about perfection but building that mindset muscle and feelings of self-efficacy in key life-areas.
I want it to give me the motivation to keep stepping forward, keep centering my needs among everyone else’s in my family and support me to refocus my attention on taking action to achieve my goals. With so much going on in life, I want this to be my anchor point daily to bring it back to what matters and align with my values.
I’ve created a checklist for myself and a blank copy you can use if you would like to join me for this 100 Day Reset too :)
With love,
S x
100 Days! Let’s go!!