It is so easy to go through days, weeks and months – and never quite take the time to do the things that enrich your life. Especially in those times when you are confined to home, or your life seems stale and boring, it can be hard to figure out what you can do to make your life more interesting.
If you are wishing for a way to enrich your life, then perhaps you need some rock pool time!
Why Rock Pools?
When my Mum started caring for my Stepdad she got very frustrated at how ‘slow’ and boring her life became. She loved him dearly but she was getting stir crazy being at home with him ALL THE TIME.
I came up with the analogy of the ocean. They had been sailing the high seas together, visiting new ports, seeing the sights.
Now they were stuck on the shore.
Instead of wistfully gazing at passing ships, she needed to explore where she was. She needed to look in the rock pools.
Not only look at them – but fill the rock pools with interesting, exciting, inspiring things to do. In her case this was new crafts, books, audiobooks, jigsaw puzzles, online courses, online book clubs. Things she could do at home that brought her into contact with the wider world, or just fulfilled her in their own right.
We figured out how she could carve out some time for herself and planned some rock pool activities she could do. She deliberately took the time she needed to give herself the gift of filling up her soul.
Enrich Your Life
I loved the concept so much that I decided I needed to schedule my own rock pool time too! I wasn’t stuck at home like my Mum, but I quickly realized that Rock Pool time was the perfect way to replenish and enrich my being – and helped me make real progress on my ‘someday when’ goals. It is taking time to say ‘yes’ to things that enrich you.
When did you last block off some time just to do the things you WANT to do? This is the perfect way for you to get to those activities. To read the books you meant to read. To take that outing you have been wanting to take. Or to just sit and dream and plan. Whatever feels good to you. What would enrich your life? Don’t just pick one project or activity. Choose a whole treasure box of ideas. Indulge yourself š
You can go back to sailing the high seas feeling refreshed and re-invented.
3 Steps to Creating a Rock Pool
Make a list. Figure out in advance the type of things you would like to do. What things do you want to get to ‘someday’. You need to be clear how you are going to fill the time or you will wiggle out and it won’t happen.
If you need to, use your first Rock Pool session to brainstorm lots of ideas and pull your plan together. This is about feeling enriched so choose delicious and decadent ‘want’ activities rather than ‘shoulds’.
Be prepared. It is no good airily deciding you will do some yoga or start writing your book. You need to plan. Find the yoga mat and dust off an exercise video. Set up your writing area and have your book outline ready. Order the jigsaw puzzle. Sign up to a Masterclass. Buy the craft kit.
Schedule your Rock Pool Time. It could be an hour, an afternoon or a day. In Julia Cameron’s book, The Artists Way, she talks about Artist Dates, and this is a similar idea. Honour your appointment. You’ll thank yourself!
Rock Pool sessions should feel at least an interesting use of your time, and at best exciting and fulfilling. And so much fun you can’t wait for the next one!
