This week is the waxing moon, which symbolically is representative of setting intentions, reaching goals, and increasing energy. I’ve never really done a lot of work with regards to moon phases, aside from full and new, because so many of my intentions are about things decreasing – my weight, my stress level, stuff like that. And it always seemed counterintuitive to me to focus on losing during a waxing moon. Of course by the time the waning moon rolled around I had forgotten my good intentions from a couple of weeks before, and then suddenly it’s the new moon and I’m back in the cycle again.

So this time I’m trying something new. I am trying to visualize my goals as things I want to increase instead of decrease and setting my intentions that way. Things like “increase the time I spend meditating” (instead of “reducing my stress”) and “increase the number of bubbles filled in on my goal chart” (each bubble represents a pound of weight lost). Things I can visualize as growth instead of loss.

I have also become enamored of the idea of getting a hybrid kayak/stand up paddleboard (SUP). I love kayaking, but the logistics of hauling and storage have meant that I’ve been relying on renting for the past several years. It is a lot easier, but it means I’m working on someone else’s schedule and I’m ready to strike out on my own… I think. I have a tendency to get really excited about really expensive hobbies and then end up with a lot of really pricey stuff that I never use, so I am trying to temper my enthusiasm with realism this time around. I have my eye on an inflatable SUP with a kayak seat attachment, meaning that as I work on my balance and core to SUP, I can also enjoy it as a kayak. I find time on the water extremely relaxing, and it can also be a workout. Both of which are positive steps towards my intentions, so that’s a good thing.

Wait… did I just talk myself into a kayak/SUP?