How to make better to do lists!

Posted on January 15, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

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To do lists are the micro levels of my big dreams. Big dreams are astronomical, may take months or years to achieve them, require persistence and consistency. Consistency is where our daily to do lists come in.

I do want to preface this post by saying the following:

we shouldn’t be slaves to our to do lists
to do lists don’t own us
to do lists are meant to serve us

So if your daily to do list, post it or weekly planner spread is making you feel bad about yourself – throw it out, take a beat and start over again when you are ready!

We shouldn’t feel productivity debt (feeling like you always need to be doing something and rest is not deserved unless your to do list is completed) from not completing everything on our to do list & there is nothing you NEED to do to earn your existence.

But when you are ready to schedule the day you want to make it amazing – read on!

Side note: I’m writing this as I was feeling overwhelm trying to use notion. Notion is meant to be a tool to keep your life organized but there was too much scope creep in their product – for me at least. The idea that it might also need to look aesthetic, link to a Spotify playlist and my Pinterest mood board was a little too much. So I realized I need to step back and figured others might need to too.

So how do we make our to do lists work for us?

Figure out your big dreams, goals, priorities and projects. But also think about the habits you want to build and routines you want to have.
Pick a medium that works for you. Could be paper or digital, simple or complex. You’ll also want to choose a template: Is it just 1 sticky note for the day, or multiple colour coded ones, is it a weekly spread planner or an hour-by-hour list of tasks. This can obviously change but it’s a great idea to try something out.
Fill your list with your daily living + tasks that will help you got to your big goals. Example are meetings, but also your workouts (goal: to focus on fitness). It could be having lunch with someone and blocking 2 hours in the morning for writing (goal: to write a book).
Pick something to fail at. Not everything has to be checked off and not everything has to be done well. So knowing what can be moved to another day vs a non-negotiable will help you stay intentional and not feel like you aren’t moving forward.

Remember – it’s all about getting to outcomes (not getting things done). Your to do list should be on your side helping you build intentional habits and keep you 1 step closer to your goals!

Easy Kid Approved Zucchini Muffins!

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

Storytime…(or jump to the recipe)

For the longest time, I was the mom who couldn’t trick her kids into eating veggies. I would listen to the stories of moms who would chop, blend and bake veggies into their kids foods, longing for the day that I would be able to experience that.

Not because I needed to LOL but because I wanted to :P

I’m not the biggest fan of cooking (I do it out of necessity). Yet, I still want to be able to make the best chocolate chip cookies for my kids (spoiler alert: they completely prefer the pillsbury eat raw or bake option and I’m not mad about it) or maybe even have a family recipe to pass along.

And I think my day has finally come!

BOTH my kids have FINALLY enjoyed a healthy baked good that I’ve made from scratch. I think because it doesn’t have cinnamon, peanut butter or almond flour makes a real difference. It doesn’t have that heaviness to it and is also school safe!

Best part it’s incredibly easy to make! Moist on the inside with a light crunch on the outside. It has zucchini and no white sugar or flour. And just for balance – a good helping of dark chocolate chips.

My kids loved it (after a highly persuaded first bite)!

Recipe for “Easy Kid-Approved Zucchini Muffins”

Ingredients:
– 2 cups of shredded zucchini
– 2 eggs
– ½ to ¾ cup of maple syrup
– ¼ cup coconut oil (room temperature)
– 2 cups oat flour
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1 teaspoon baking powder
– ½ teaspoon salt
– ½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions:
– Put the wet ingredients in a bowl and stir together
– Put the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and mix together
– Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well
– Fill 12 greased muffins tins evenly and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes

How to come back to your higher self

Posted on January 8, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

With 2023’s first major lunar event just passing us, I thought I might be a good time to talk about how we can really show up as our true, authentic selves. I’ve been fascinated by the moon forever, but more recently, I love tracking where it is in the sky, the phase and how we as human’s have been connected to the moon for millennia.

The moon helps us identify with ourselves. But understanding ourselves is a journey and on that journey there will be phases (pun intended) where you are truly in tune with yourself and times where you feel like you can barely see yourself at all (…just like the phases of our moon).

So it’s in those darker times, where the moon is not visible and you are struggling to live as your highest self, that we need to find our ways back to your path – your true authentic self.

Try these activities the next time you feel like you need raise your vibes and come back to your higher self.

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Gratitude: In the morning, randomly through the day and before bed. I always write a gratitude list in the morning, use the DayOne app to quickly write a gratitude list at any time of day and then mentally say what I’m grateful for before bed.
Love for yourself & others: Love comes in all shapes and sizes, even more so, the the love you have for yourself. Take time to care for your self (whether that’s acting on your goals, washing your face consistently, doing your favourite hobby or taking a weekly bubble bath). When it comes to others, making time for friends and loved ones, hugging and forgiving quickly are equally important.
Eat high vibe foods: When I’m eating processed, fast or fried foods, I immediately feel my vibrations sink. Not only do my jeans feel extra snug but I’m usually in an energy slump and crabby to myself and others. When I’m eating clean and a variety of foods it’s easier to feel good about myself, my environment and my situation.
Consume high vibe content: It’s not only what you eat but what you listen & watch that can effect how your higher self shows up. Listening to a TedTalk > scrolling Instagram should be a reflex. And believe it or not, after 5 days of switching to affirmations, motivational podcasts and learning new things on youtube and TedX – you’ll immediately find Social Media draining and not want to scroll!
Be active in nature: A walk outdoors is the immediate cure for a bad mood. Thats what I tell my daughters and what I remind myself as well. Fresh air can do wonders for your soul. Still trying to get out more often (only once a week because of the colder weather) but also trying to be creative about it (whether that’s a walk to the library with the family or a walk around the community center when my kids are in karate lessons).

A Dreamy Nutella Crepe at @Sugarhill_Desserts Vaughan

Posted on January 5, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I love desserts and specifically chocolate desserts. Chocolate chip cookies are my fav!

I’ve tried creating cleaner options of my most treasured dessert (which you can find here, here, here and here).

BUuuuuuut once in a while, I’ll indulge! And I’ll go all in!

Into the richness of the chocolate and sugar at an actual dessert shop. I don’t do it often and because of that – I really savour the experience 🥰

The last time I had dessert shop dessert was in Las Vegas (Sugar Factory).
We had a waffle and crepe and it was covered in Nutella and cookie crumbs and it was pure joy.

I definitely felt like I didn’t need to eat dessert again for at least a month
(spoiler alert: I had desert before that)

Enter Sugar Hill Desserts 💕

This cute little place was lively, modern aesthetic decor, had a heated patio and an amazing variety of desserts.

Of course I opted for yet another Nutella crepe & and did no disappoint. Nutella spread inside, Nutella drizzle outside, Nutella-esque ice cream on top, Oreo crumbs for the crunch & bananas (because balance – right?!)

Conveniently located across from Vaughan Mills and right off the highway exit this is a MUST try any time you are in the area, on the way to or back from cottage country or even if you are a local looking for a fav dessert spot!

Hello New Year

Posted on January 1, 2023 by Bhanu Misra Marya

Welcome 2023.

Pouring champagne for our friends during #RockinEve

It’s 11pm on Jan 1 and I’m listening to a podcast.

For me the start of a new timeline (I say timeline because to me it could be the start of the school year, the final day of Diwali or Jan 1) is powerful. Beginnings are powerful, and we get a new beginning every time we see the sun rise, a new moon and a full moon. 🧿

My New Year Run – on a treadmill this year

The beauty for me is harnessing the power of beginnings

Captured this beauty during our family forrest bath (post processed in Fotor)

For as long as I can remember, I’ve tried to be mindful of the things I do on the first day of the new year. Some of those activities include:

Meditation, Journaling & Workout
Get outdoors
Study
Do something creative
Eat Health
Smile & be positive
Enjoy time with friends and family (and hug them and tell them I love them)

As you can see, these are really things we should all be doing daily, so doing this on the first day of a beginning really just sets the tone for the rest of that time line.

We aren’t perfect, and that’s okay – but thats why we should reset and re-try. Remember, energy grows where intention flows.

How did you spend the first day of the new year?

9 Habits to become unrecognizable in 6 months

Posted on December 30, 2022 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I cannot take credit for this. But I really wanted to share it.
(Edit: all pictures are from Pinterest)

I’ve been following @Art0fLife_ on twitter for a few months and I love when people re-share their content. It means 1) it resonates with folks and 2) it needs to be shared more.

The 9 habits shared by @Art0fLife_ are very specific, so I’ll be sharing them with a more consistent mindset as opposed to a “follow this exactly to find results”.

Should preface by this saying, I’m will a Work in Progress. I do do a handful of these, but there are areas where I know I want to improve.

Wake up early at the same time every day: really dependent on what time you go to sleep, but if you know the hours of sleep you need (somewhere between 6-8 for most of us) you can get into bed and get that sleep in consistently. Why wake up early? because you get time to yourself and it ensures you are ahead of everything and anyone
Journal daily: Don’t know what to write? brain-dump, goals, gratitude list, thoughts that make you spiral. Getting things out of your head will dramatically improve your creativity and mental wellness.
Learning/Studying for 30 min a day: This is so important for anyone and unfortunately we do less of it in mid life and beyond. Whether it studying certification material (hello scrum, agile, data or product) or hobby (wood work, coding, knitting, content creation). Learning creates increase neural pathways and can also help you create multiple income streams.
Exercise daily for at least 30 min: not only for the physical side, but also for the mental wellness side. Consider ways to incorporate cardio (swimming, running) and resistance training (weight lifting, resistance or body weight exercises).
Meditate for at least 5 min: Essentially sitting in silence or with a guided mentation will help you practice mindfulness and give your mind a break.
Create a proper sleep schedule: including a wind down routine. This will do wonders for your performance, productivity and mood.
Walk in nature: I love my forrest baths. Nature is a proven way to improve anxiety and increase happiness. It helps to also get the creative juices flowing. I would love to do this daily but it’s only once a week currently. Will be looking to improve this.
Read 20 pages a day: read anything (fiction, non fiction, self dev, poems, history etc). Reading an actual book helps to improve focus and knowledge (even if that is just what a word means and how to spell it).
Drink 2.5-3L of water daily: water is essential to our body and our recovery. So staying hydrated is key.

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