M’s Update: March 2025

This is a new format – just wanted to share what’s been going on in my life in the 9 vision areas of my vision board.

Personal Growth

I’ve stumbled on IFS for 4 times in the last 4 weeks so I’m diving into it. Right now, I’m reading ‘No Bad Parts’ by Richard Schwartz and no, I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up part of a new card deck.

Relationships

One thing I’ve noticed is that when my established relationships are going well, it’s easy for me to shift my focus on other things. I don’t want to take my partner for granted though, so we’re putting explicit date days on our calendar. Just because something isn’t falling apart, doesn’t mean it’s not a priority.

Family and friends

The last two weeks, I’ve been head-deep in tutoring my bonus kid. He’s 16 and it doesn’t matter how much we love each other – sometimes, we clash. Last week, after another homework fight, I lay in my bed crying and thinking I wanted to step back from all the school prep – I felt like flogging a dead horse and I was so tired from trying. But then, I remembered that on my vision board for this year was the kind of parent I want to be – one who guides and supports. And I realized it doesn’t matter who’s right and who’s wrong – I get to decide how I show up. So these weeks, I’m surviving on deep breaths, empathy and YouTube videos on high school physics…

Health

Speaking of high school, in mine – I hated sports. I was always last to be picked for any team. Exercise left me out of breath. But now that I’m 36, I’m actually enjoying it a lot more. This summer, I even got to the point of exercising daily. And then winter came and left me a couch potato. So these days, I’m trying to prioritize exercise more. I can’t wait until weather’s warmer and I can swim in the river again.

Hobbies

So you know how they say you can’t do everything at once? It’s true. My hyperfocus has been on Odder Being for a while now, so it’s also one of the few hobbies I’ve actually been enjoying. The other one being theatre. My partner and I have a theatre card so we see a lot of different things. Last month, we got to enjoy Fuse, a band playing experimental classical music (much to the disappointment of my mother I don’t really know much or anything about music, so I may be off on the genre). They are awesome. Check them out.

Career & Purpose

I’ve been spending so much time on Odder Being lately. I know you probably got the Polyamory Conversation Cards, but my plan for Odder Being has always been to create a space where you could figure out what kind of life works for you. And yes, relationship dynamics are a big part of this, but they are not the only thing. So I’ve been working on making Odder Being more holistic. But don’t worry, relationships are still a big topic and I’ll be working on new relationship-related decks soon!

Physical Environment

One thing my vision has taught me is that keeping a tidy home is not really a priority of mine. I used to feel so ashamed, but these days I just realized it’s my home (well, our home, but I’m lucky to live with people with the same level of messiness) and I don’t owe any explanations on the decisions I make for myself. So it’s messy, but it’s me. I’m messy. And that’s okay.

Exploration and Adventure

I’ve picked up indoor bouldering a few years ago and it’s one of those things I absolutely suck at but still enjoy a lot. And what I like the very very best is growing. Noting how a route that seemed impossible a few weeks ago suddenly is… maybe not easy, but doable. Exploration for me is all about discovering what else is out there, and a big part of is are the limits of my body. Can highly recommend. (Also great for learning to manage anxiety)

Finance

When I put my financial situation as part of my vision, I usually focus on the output (which is ironic, since it’s not something I control). I should probably focus more on how I invest. I think such a great question when considering an investment is whether it’s a good fit for my vision… The last thing I spent money on was a cooking class, and that’s definitely a good investment – it’s fun, helps me grow, and gets me out of my head for a few hours.

Have you tried visualizing your own vision yet? This blog is a good place to start. Looking for prompts? How about…