When we were displaced after the tornado, we moved into a sort of urban-ish apartment complex adjacent to a local outdoor mall. Our thought was that if we had to move into an apartment, we might as choose one that gives us easy walkable access to restaurants and distractions.

There was a small yoga studio in the mall that held classes in Restorative Yoga, which was described to me as ‘the art of rest’ – or learning to settle the mind and body to allow healing and awareness. I can’t begin to explain how beneficial it was to me during that time in my life when everything was so chaotic.

It was really the first time I had ever explored yoga or  meditation and while I wouldn’t call myself a skeptic, I would say I was a bit jaded about these things that seemed like fads. But as I realized the benefits of that class and began to learn more I’ve come to realize that, for me, it represented a chance to begin to renew myself.

You see, I had fallen down into a bit of a funk ( <– understatement  )  after the tornado and losing my mom in such quick succession. But because of a convergence of multiple things, including learning the restorative yoga practice, meditating when I needed to and through the constant support of friends and Ohana, I was able to slowly begin to dust off and make like new again.

So here we are over a year and half later. I’ve been lucky enough to be honored as a Salesforce MVP twice now and am currently up for renewal. As I was providing feedback on all the MVPs up for renewal, including myself, I really began to think about that term:

And as I looked at the definition and began to think about where and how it applies I realized that every single thing in my life is in (or in need of) a constant cycle of renewal.

My health. My relationships. My goals. My work. And more…

Without a conscious effort to renew, things will begin to stagnate, to fall behind, to fail. And without a plan it’s too easy to get into a cycle where the squeaky wheel gets the attention and you don’t have the time or energy to put into the things that aren’t (yet).

I am guilty of it. But knowing the problem at hand is half the battle, right?

I’m challenging myself to setup a monthly Personal Renewal Check-In. A time I’ve blocked on my calendar and set aside time to step away from the right now, look at the facets of my life and see what needs a spit-shine.

Because everything could use a little freshening up on a regular basis. And I always stand a little more tall when I feel like my house is in order!

Do you have areas where you need to renew? What are your tips/tricks for keeping your life fresh?