So when Judith “Sympatexter” Peters issued a #BlogYourPurpose challenge, I had to see what it was all about. Luckily I now speak and read German, because that’s the language of the challenge, though she uses a lot of English phrases as well, as seen in it’s title. How fun is it that Germans enjoy peppering their speech with my mother tongue?
Although I’ve been blogging for a bit now, I am always keen to learn and found Peters’ challenge informative and motivating.
Purposeful Creative Living
The upshot is, it is valuable and impactful to express and live out our life’s purpose. We CAN create content, and ultimately a thriving life, that pours forth from our life’s Purpose.
Peters discussed the Japanese concept of Ikigai in relationship with Purpose, Lebenssinn or Bestimmung and offered valuable tips for new bloggers and folks who want to leave a legacy. These concepts are also related to Dharma in yoga philosophy, which I discussed in my Coming from Your Powerful Core blog.
Living my purpose while visiting WHDT during time at home in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i
Coaching to Distinguish Personal Purpose
In order to identify my Purpose, I worked with a coach and participated in Accomplishment Coaching’s ontological Coaches Training Program. Since then it has provided clarity in times of tumult and change, a lighthouse guiding my way, providing meaning and motivation. It’s been an honor to work with clients to unearth their own purpose and transform their lives.
I would be delighted to guide you through the process as well, please don’t hesitate to reach out for support in your pursuit of a meaningful life.
Blythe’s Purpose, Essence, Mission, & Vision
So what is my personal Purpose?
Purpose: Joy
Essence: Buoyant, Creative, Curious, Love, Leader
Mission: Inspire, equip, and liberate dancers, creatives, & global citizens.
Vision: Support my community to live extraordinary lives and reach their potential through coaching, yoga, & dance education.
Visuals and other aids help me remember to stand in my Purpose daily, such as this dashboard/vision board that I created for my 2023 Bullet Journal and which I also shared on Instagram @ablythecoach:
My 2023 Stand / Word of the Year, Purpose, Essence, Mission, & Vision BuJo visual
Leaving a Legacy
Through various processes of distinguishment such as coaching, journaling, and articulating my professional aims, I have sought to encapsulate in powerful and inspiring words, the positive impact I hope to create in the world.
I can live this in real time every day by being my Purpose and Essence in the world, by acting as a catalyst for others’ transformation through coaching, mindful movement, and by other means.
A combination of timeless, circumstance-independent Purpose and Essence with my personal passions and curiosities such as ballet, dance, yoga, and coaching combine to enact my influence in the world.
May the North Star of my purpose lead all that I do, and ripple out through clients, students, collaborators and community across this beautiful earth and into the future. And may you be empowered by your own purpose to be and do what you are here for!
Questions for Reflection
What is your Purpose?
How do you stay present to your Purpose in challenging times?
What are the next steps to live our your Purpose in the world and leave your legacy?
Blythe Stephens, MFA, Bliss Catalyst they/them or she/her Creator of A Blythe Coach: dance through your difficulties and take leaps of faith into a joyful, fulfilling life
Following on the heels of my Get Down Daily Dance Challenge for National Dance Week, I am pleased to announce a special choreography workshop at West Hawai’i Dance Theatre in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i on Saturday, May 6th!
Living in intercultural and international locations such as Hawai’i and Germany, we encounter a rich variety of languages and perspectives. Linguistic translation, both in verbal communication and the vocabulary of dance movement, provides an exciting challenge in which we can discover our voice and encounter ourselves anew, articulating ideas in innovative ways. Such adaptations applied to dance choreography can also provide greater accessibility for ourselves in different times of life, for our dancers and collaborators, and for audiences.
Workshop Structure
In this workshop, we will devise a collaborative choreography using our existing ballet and dance vocabulary, universal Elements of Dance, and a supportive structure that can be applied to future dancemaking.
We will begin with a simple dance phrase, developing varied interpretations, integrating our individual viewpoints, and emerging with a new work-in-progress.
The process will generate more nuanced transitions and fuller expression in technique and performance practice, choreographic exploration, and bridging dance tradition and contemporary issues.
Let’s keep in touch, keep dancing, and never hesitate to let me know if I can be of service!
Blythe Stephens, MFA, Bliss Catalyst they/them or she/her Creator of A Blythe Coach: dance through your difficulties and take leaps of faith into a joyful, fulfilling life
Want to make mindful movement and creativity a daily ritual?
This is a recap of my 5-Day “Get Down Daily” Dance Challenge on Instagram (hence the portrait video format).
The following bite-sized movement explorations can help build a habit of joyful exploratory movement and creative expression. Originally created in celebration of National Dance Week, you may use these five prompts and responses to inspire your own improvisation and choreographic research anytime!
We will develop a joyful daily creative dance practice that is accessible to a variety of abilities and experience levels and achievable in minutes a day. Be amazed at the far-reaching impacts such a practice can have in your life.
Prompt No.1 [01:10] – Choose 1 Body Part or segment, explore for 1 Minute. Can isolate that part only or initiate movement with that part that impacts other areas as well. If you’ve got time, repeat the process with other parts!
2. Musical Improvisation
Prompt No.2 [03:08] – Musical Improvisation. Pick a piece of music, old or new, that moves you and boogie.
3. Site-Specific Exploration
Prompt No.3 [06:29] – Site-Specific Exploration. Use whatever space you have or seek one out that you have access to. Small or large works, video is a space too. Notice how my move in this environment, respond to what you see and sense.
4. Costume/Character
Prompt No.4 [07:15]- Costume/Character Embodiment. Try different clothing or accessories, could be a skirt, shirt, hat, shoes, or a whole outfit or costume. Take on a disguise, be a different version of yourself or someone else entirely.
5. Eyes Closed
Prompt No.5 [08:45] – Eyes Closed Somatic Sensing. Carefully and slowly notice your movements with your eyes closed or softly focused. How are shapes and shaping, movements and relationship to your surroundings without a visual representation?
Continue Your Creative Habit
These prompts are truly just an appetizer though, and I have many more tools, existing and future workshops on designing your own creative practices and making dances.
I hope you have found responding to these movement prompts insightful and fun, and that your artistic adventure is ongoing!
Resources for Further Exploration
Keep your eyes peeled here or subscribe to my email newsletter to learn more about my upcoming Spark of Creativity Challenge in May
How could a mindful movement or creative dance enhance your life?
What do you dream of creating?
Let’s keep in touch, keep dancing, and never hesitate to let me know if I can be of service!
Blythe Stephens, MFA, Bliss Catalyst they/them or she/her Creator of A Blythe Coach: dance through your difficulties and take leaps of faith into a joyful, fulfilling life
I know, a whole list-icle featuring none other than my own creations and services, right? But hey, you’ve come this far, so you must jive with something in my offerings and approach.
Heartfelt thanks if you already support my work in any way, currently or in the past. Just showing up means a lot.
Perhaps you already enjoy my offerings in-studio or online and would like to know in what ways we might further collaborate, or you are interested in supporting me in expanding what I can provide for your befit and that of others.
Whether your interests lie in mindful movement, dance, coaching, education, or personal growth, I’ve got something for you, and you’ve also got oodles of potential ways to support me in return 🙂
Podcast 099 is the audio version of this article, links to resources mentioned below
Who am I?
If you’ve learned about me through someone else or stumbled across my work online and we’re not yet properly acquainted, hello! I am Blythe C. Stephens (they/she), a Hawai’i-raised and Cologne, Germany-based bliss-catalyzing coach, dance & yoga educator and creator of A Blythe Coach, helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties and take leaps of faith!
It would be a delight to connect with you on Instagram, where I regularly post and go live @ablythecoach and you can also learn more about my work here on my blog as well as on the A Blythe Coach podcast and YouTube channel (more about each of those avenues shortly).
My first major interests were ballet and theatre (along with reading, marine biology, visual art…) and I pursued conservatory training in dance on the East Coast at UNC School of the Arts, going on to pursue liberal arts education in philosophy at Whitman College and life coaching certification at Accomplishment Coaching, both on the West Coast, continuing to dance throughout. My MFA in Dance and teaching credential in secondary education I completed at the University of Hawai’i, with further yoga teacher training most recently in Cologne Germany.
A multi-passionate creator myself, it is a balancing act to integrate my many interests and pursuits, educational programs, romantic relationships, and adventures. Having studied and worked in student success, ontological, and life coaching, higher education, dance choreography, performance, production, and education, my current projects and offerings reflect my passions for dance, mindful movement, and joyful living.
Glad that you are here with me to savor any and all of these ways to create and connect! What follows are ten ways for us to work together or support my work, from completely free and low-commitment offerings, to higher-cost, -commitment, and -value contributions.
Blythe looking to the right in a field of flowers, buzz cut blowing in the breeze PC: Marina Weigl
Consult to Determine Fit
My approach is holistic, rigorous, and truly unique, but you don’t have to take my word for it. You can experience the difference firsthand in a complimentary discovery call, available regardless of which of my services piques your interest.
Take the guesswork out of determining which of my offerings is best for you or how we might work together synergistically. Let’s connect or catch up!
Free / Low-Commitment
Gifts of Time & Energy
Let’s say you are digging all the value I offer my free offerings such as YouTube videos, blog articles, challenges, and email newsletter. You would like to help me continue to produce and improve my content, but you’re not in a position to contribute financially. No worries.
Or you are a student or client who is such a fan of my approach that you’d like to know what further ways you could support the work with a minimal monetary cost. Awesome!
In these cases, I suggest the following methods through which you may promote my creations so that they can benefit others as well, at no cost.
1. Subscribe and/or Leave a Review
Subscribing to my various channels, engaging with my posts, and leaving a positive review where available (LinkedIn, Social Media, directly to me to share…), are all great ways to get the information out to more folks who would enjoy it.
Following any of my channels and interacting with the content you like is a great start. Even more effective is to recommend specific videos, articles, or other media to particular people who might enjoy them, or share them with relevant groups you are a part of or your own social media channels. It’s fun when you tag me as well 🙂
Here is where I am showing up and you can follow/subscribe/review and so forth:
A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel – where I publish approximately-weekly videos on topics of mindful movement–ballet, dance, & yoga–, coaching, personal development, & growth.
Weekly Email Newsletter – the best place to hear from me on a regular basis and be the first to hear about my newest creations and offerings, as well as favorite recommendations from other creators.
A Blythe Coach Podcast – available wherever and whenever you like to listen to podcasts.
Creative and mutually-beneficial collaborations could take place live in special events or workshops, working together virtually through videos, audio, written, or social media (above), or in other settings.
If it’s a match, I’d love to introduce my audience to your audience, provide professional and personal insights, participate in interviews (maybe you’d like to be a guest on my podcast or have me as a guest on yours?), and expand our mutual network of inspiring people.
What ideas would you like to bring to fruition and how might we link arms to make that happen?
Low-Cost/ Commitment
If you’d be interested in making a financial contribution, small or large, here are some ways to do that currently. Your donations and payments for classes and coaching directly support my daily operations and I deeply appreciate your support!
3. Make a Donation through Tip Jar
You might have enjoyed a free offering such as my YouTube videos, blog articles, or podcast and wish to support me in continuing to provide these resources to all. How generous and thoughtful of you, please know that your contribution will go to continuing to improve my offerings and therefore the value I deliver back to you.
Here’s a great way to make a one-time donation, which will be greatly appreciated and support the sustainability of the work you enjoy:
It feels so good to move mindfully together, whether in-studio in Germany where I am currently based, while guest teaching at home in Hawai’i, at locations in-between, or online in my virtual studio on Zoom.
Those on my email list are the first to know where I am currently offering classes and coaching, both in-studio and virtually.
If you are in the neighborhood, take advantage of adult & teen ballet, yoga, or other courses with me live in-person at Tanzschule Tanzraum in Cologne, Germany, West Hawai’i Dance Theatre in Kailua-Kona, or elsewhere TBA.
Blythe in grand plie in first position by industrial docks in Cologne PC: Marina Weigl
5. Live Group Mindful Movement Courses Online
If you’ve enjoyed dancing along with my YouTube videos and want to take the next step, or would like to prepare for or supplement work together in-studio, joining my online studio might be for you.
Participate in mindful movement together–dance &/or yoga– with me live in-person on Zoom in a group or private study environment.
Consult with me 1:1 on a discovery call and try a free class to determine if these courses might be for you.
My clients typically come to me for support around massive career shifts and tricky health challenges, as well as working through nasty breakups and other cataclysmic shifts. In short, folks dealing with radical change, whether it is chosen and wanted or totally unexpected, seek out coaching for effectively navigating thrilling and terrifying transitions.
Some individuals prefer to work in a one-on-one environment to receive personalized feedback, intensive attention and support in a more private setting. This can help overcome obstacles and generate unprecedented momentum and power.
I have supported clients through transformations such as career transition, going back to school, taking on leadership positions, radical changes of medium, specialty and/or geography, coping with injury, disability, and diagnosis.
I’m here to help multi-passionate creatives to dance through their difficulties and take leaps of faith into purposeful and fulfilling lives.
Again, the best way to discuss how private coaching or classes would work is to sign up for a no-obligation discovery call.
7. Signature Coaching Program
My signature program, Dilemma to Delight, walks you through my framework step-by-step within a 1:1 coaching container.
In this structured yet individualized coaching program, you will accelerate your results and catalyze the changes that lead to joy and satisfaction.
The season of coaching moves through five stages, which comprise the essential elements of change, catalyzing your growth and transformation. We partner together to reveal your amazing essence, design clear action steps, provide accountability and inspiration in the projects and topics of focus, and deftly dance through obstacles.
More details and further testimonials also available on my coaching page.
8. Special Workshops, Speaking, Events
Got your own company or in a position where you would like to work together to present or teach in a corporate or educational setting? Let’s talk about your topics of interest and how to work together on such a project!
You do not have to be able to strike Firefly pose, pictured above to get the benefits of mindful movement PC: Marina Weigl
9. Positions in Secondary & Higher Education
A lifelong learner, I will always be studying, reflecting, and growing. It’s possible that working with colleges or universities could be a part of that, as I have greatly enjoyed my previous work in academic settings.
Working with teens and adults is of particular interest, as well as ballet and coaching for dancers of other styles and creatives of all stripes.
Please do pass along any positions or opportunities that sound like they may be of interest, and I’ll look forward to also sharing them to folks who could also be a fit.
10. What I haven’t yet imagined…
I’ve found it best to remain open to the unexpected, as surprising twists and turns have been a regular feature of my life experience so far. This leads to a lot of exciting adventures, fuels my creativity, and builds fun connections.
What possible opportunities have I not yet thought of? Your presence, ideas and input are highly valued.
Questions for Reflection
What ways to work together resonate most with you?
What is the next step?
How did you hear about my work or in what capacity have we worked together?
Have we danced or practiced mindful movement together, or would you like to try it out?
Have you been coached?
What area of your life would you like to transform?
Who do you know who could benefit from my offerings?
Thank you for taking the time to consider creative ways we might support one another. Let’s keep in touch, and never hesitate to let me know if I can be of service!
Blythe Stephens, MFA, Bliss Catalyst they/them or she/her Creator of A Blythe Coach: dance through your difficulties and take leaps of faith into a joyful, fulfilling life
Last October I tried out my first Inktober Drawing Challenge, and in January I’ve kept sketching going on a weekly basis. Drawing and visual arts is really a whole other way of being creative than my usual dancing and also very relevant to the enterprise of shape, shaping and space in my dance practice as well.
I got a lot of value out of the challenge of producing 31 drawing studies in in as many days. It was also super inspiring to see the works of, and connect on social media with, “real” illustrators and other visual artists. Great to be influenced by new works and creators!
As November passed, I witnessed those who participated in the latest round of NaNoWriMo at work on their books, some ultimately “winning” the 50,000-words-in-30-days challenge. In 2019 I took on the challenge to write a novel in a month myself, not “winning” the challenge, but coming closer than ever before with a 18,600-word partial novella.
In 2021 I went on to write a Haiku poem every single day and like my Inktober adventure, I continue to seek out fun new creative challenges.
What follows are a sampling of challenges I have enjoyed in the past which have led to valuable insights and in some cases lasting change.
Last weekend’s challenge was climbing the steps at the mining museum in Bochum, Germany
Past Challenges Undertaken
Here are a few of the other challenges I’ve partaken in recent years:
Yoga with Adriene 30-day Yoga Journey in January, which I took my time working through the first few years as I was able, eventually helped me build my daily yoga ritual. I then branched out to participate in yoga challenges with Schuyler Grant and others. I am grateful to Adriene Michler as well as all my other in-person and online yoga teachers for helping me establish a daily practice which I have since made all my own and which I hope to continue for life!
Deepak Chopra and Sharon Salzberg’s Meditation Challenges and other such guided meditation practices have also been instrumental in making what was more sporadic practice a consistent feature in my life. Starting with these brief 2-4 week challenges, I again expanded slowly into longer sessions daily. It was inspiring to practice in daily bite-sized pieces and led to my 2021 Daily Meditation Practice Challenge and ongoing daily ritual.
A few rounds of the MinsGame 30-day Decluttering Minimalism Challenge, for example before moving or as a spring refresh, have done me good, and I’ve also used Marie Kondo’s method. I spill the details in my Minimalism Memoir article.
Since buying my Kindle and reading my friend Claire Willett’s incredible debut novel The Rewind Files, I was inspired to dive back into reading for pleasure and have have since participated in Reading Challenges for the last few years on Goodreads. I don’t plan to continue to set higher and higher goals for books read each year, but am glad to continue to read consistently and with relish.
Language Sprints on Duolingo and Lingoda support me to practice my German. I have over a 3-year streak on the former app!
The Artist’s Wayby Julia Cameron is a 12-week in-depth creativity program/challenge full of valuable practices, including writing Daily Morning Pages for freewriting/braindumping/creative flow which I continue benefit from.
For Music, I’ve played with a minimal daily Harmonica practice, and then read the book a Year of Wonder andlistened to the accompanying classical music selections daily last year (2022). This was a huge boon to my dance improvisation and choreography practices and my creative inspiration in general.
This year I am having fun with A Year of Planning, which is a weekly Bullet Journaling Challenge, and am considering other challenges to participate in and lead.
…And I’ve done assorted other challenges, such as Letter Writing (my weekly-correspondence goal last year, inspired by the book I Want to Thank You), Cold Showers a la Wim Hof for stress-reduction and immunity, and surely others I’m not recalling in the moment.
Cultivate Ongoing Habits
Some challenges, like yoga, meditation, journaling, gratitude and abundance, reading, writing, languages, and music have proven to provide ongoing value to my life.
In these cases, a challenge can provide a sort of “kickstart” for something you intend to make a habit or practice. After the official challenge is complete, these may continue in some form indefinitely. These type of challenges have supported me in creating daily rituals and repeating traditions.
Personally, I’m always on the lookout for fun and motivating challenges in different areas where I’d like to learn and grow.
One-Time Challenges
Challenges don’t have to become a lifelong habit in order to have value. While some may indeed lead to lasting change, others provide insight and inspiration for a time or can be revisited intermittently as desired.
Maybe it turns out that you require the practices in your chosen challenge only intermittently, or they provide a connection to something that proves to be more meaningful for you, or you realize it’s not really a fit at all. Take the learning forward with you, but feel free to leave the challenge behind if it has served its purpose and you don’t wish to continue.
Always feel free to take or leave any “official” rules or make your own entirely, based on your true objectives.
Challenges to Avoid
There are some common challenges that I certainly don’t plan to participate in in the foreseeable future, such as any kind of food or eating restriction or dieting.
I DO want to continue to make a habit of body acceptance, self-care, and joyful intuitive eating as well as rampant creativity and joy.
Challenges I Have Led
In the past, I have offered mindful movement and coaching challenges, and going forward I foresee providing further ballet, dance, yoga, meditation, creative living, and coaching challenges for my community. It is such a blast to come together in a focused way to see growth and results in a short time!
Let’s connect by email or on Instagram @ablythecoach, I would love to hear your perspective!
Blythe Stephens, MFA, Bliss Catalyst they/them or she/her Creator of A Blythe Coach: dance through your difficulties and take leaps of faith into a joyful, fulfilling life
Doesn’t it feel good to do a thorough clear-out at the beginning of a new chapter in your life? Our physical, mental, digital, and analog systems can all use a periodic audit to make sure we are on track to live the life we intend.
The following methods bring order to chaos, help me reflect, plan, memory-keep, and create. However, your process and system are bound to look differently and I share this only as a brainstorm of ideas that I hope will inspire your own journey of discovery.
Here’s what I’ve been doing during the transition from 2022 into 2023 to look back in reflection, assess my current needs, and look forward to project the future. It is wintery indeed in Cologne this year, so it really feels like the right time to snuggle up in a cozy and organized space to reflect, journal, and dream.
My first step is to understand what practices, habits, and goals I’ve been tracking and measuring and assess my results in the last period. Before I can strategize my success, it is important to know how the current projects and plans are going.
Some Metrics I Tallied for 2022:
Shared Creations: for me this includes published videos, blogs, podcasts, emails, posts, challenges, choreographies, performances, new connections made through sharing my process through various means
Income and Expenses: business and personal financial goals
Habits: rituals such as reading, writing, practicing, creating, connecting, sustaining, adventuring, and celebrating
I captured all my thoughts on my dry erase board, then distilled down the data and reflections in my Bullet Journal with very simple spreads that include the numbers and assessment for Q4 and an Annual Reflection that feature Glows (wins) & Grows/Let-Gos (challenges, learning, and to release).
I definitely got out my journals for this
Get Clear & Complete
A more thorough process of clearing such as the Accomplishment Coaching Completion Exercise, or another in-depth tool might also be needed to release any lingering energy around the previous year’s efforts, goals, and results.
I find it helpful to do at least annually, as well as at other times I feel stuck or incomplete.
This coaching tool involves ten questions to provide clarity, release, and empowerment. Book a complimentary Discovery Call with me to learn more.
This makes it simple to remain present to my intention and check in throughout the year about whether my goals are in alignment and actions are in integrity.
Refresh Your Soundscape
Treat your senses, including audio enjoyments that suit your current mood or imagined ideal state of flow.
Choosing songs to suit my objective or project, and making playlists is another great way to refresh your outlook and your space as you set the tone for positive changes.
Check out my playlists on Spotify and/or create your own:
Courtney Carver introduced me to the idea of a Love List and I like this pressure-free way to brainstorm what I would love to happen in the coming year. Why not create a vision of my fantasy accomplishments, situation, and being?
Not that I must do all of the things on the list, but that these dreams can influence my tangible aims, think big and expansive before reigning in to SMART goals and specific tasks.
Declaring what you would love to happen can allow the subconscious to work on what you really want to create, not just what you think is possible for you.
Start Quarter / Month Goals
After I set a clear intention and broad goals for the year (based on previously-established longer-term goals and vision), it is time to chunk the actions into smaller and smaller bits, so the next step is to break down QuarterlyGoals and then Monthly Goals for Q1.
I like to start with a sketchy outline of what I plan to do each quarter, with structure to inspire me but enough wiggle room to allow new ideas to unfold.
Then I elaborate details on a month-by-month, weekly, and daily basis.
Notebook Migration
One of my favorite parts is migrating and refreshing my Bullet Journal, and in the video that follows I am walking through the evolution of my BuJo and notebooks system, what my current setup, approach, and collections.
Brands and items I mention in the video are just what I personally use, based on personal experience and opinion, and I encourage you to use whatever supplies you have access to and enjoy.
BuJo Setup / Migration might include:
Dashboard – easy reference for Word of the Year, Vision Board, Goals, etc.
Future Log – important dates and themes for each month of the year
Collections (in Annual Book), Goals & Intentions, Projects
Monthly, Weeklies, Quarterly Reflections (in “Quarterly” Book)
I like to clean, organize and provide new visual stimuli in my living and working environments. A deep spring clean may follow, but for now I seek to get key functional areas in order. Some ideas:
Body
Could be a “spa day” or small treats as part of your refresh process:
Satisfying Nourishment
Feel-Good Movement
Peaceful Rest & Sleep
Fresh Haircut
Smooth Mani/Pedi
Pampering Scrub or ritual bath
Home, Office, Digital Spaces
Decluttering / Refreshing Physical and Digital Spaces creates a clean slate feeling, greater ease and concentration. Some places to look:
Inboxes – digital and analog
Closet/Wardrobe, Cosmetics, Kitchen; most used areas
Audit/update office and craft supplies, especially regularly used notebooks, pencils, pens…
Rarely or never-worn clothing on it’s way to be donated
Quarterly Refresh
Preparing for a new year is of course also a quarterly transition as well, and so I have a similar but somewhat scaled-down process that I implement quarterly, including:
Update my altar
Seasonal Decor, Ephemera, Stamps
Review Monthly Reflections & Results
Quarterly Glows & Grows in BuJo
Review Ideal Daily/Weekly Schedule
Clear Inboxes
Declutter, clean, organize
It can be invigorating to reflect and refresh on smaller scale on a monthly and weekly basis as well. Observe patterns, be accountable, and have the flexibility to adjust course as needed.
Remember to celebrate! Do a little dance and pat yourself on the back, you are ready to launch into a fresh new year or chapter of your life, anytime you want.
May these or other practices provide you with the sense of renewal that you seek, and I look forward to working together in the coming year.
Questions for Reflection
What rituals do you have to start again with a clean slate?
How do you let go of the past?
What are your 2023 (or annual) and Q1/Quarter goals?
Blythe Stephens, MFA, Bliss Catalyst they/them or she/her Creator of A Blythe Coach: dance through your difficulties and take leaps of faith into a joyful, fulfilling life
“This moment, do I accept myself just as I am?” – Radical Acceptance
2022 was a tumultuous year for me personally and for all of us globally. I lost a beloved uncle and great-aunt, recovered from COVID, and watched as war broke out between Russia and the Ukraine, with unrest and natural disaster in other parts of the world as well. We all faced our own struggles.
I was privileged to also enjoy a mostly peaceful and creative life, and learned through new experiences and encounters a variety of media.
Personal highlights included outstanding live dance performances, in particular a new work from The Royal Ballet, “Like Water for Chocolate,” and a classic from Pina Bausch, “Orpheus und Eurydike.” My in-studio students had the opportunity to perform in an abbreviated “Swan Lake” and participate in an exam, I practiced yoga and ballet together with devoted students online and in-studio, and released a signature coaching program.
The ability to travel home to Hawai’i as well as to the UK and on regional getaways, time with family, friends, and my love were also memories that I am deeply grateful for.
Perhaps you’d also be interested in some of my favorite sources of inspiration, education, and entertainment from the year past. Some were newly-released over the course of 2022, others were simply new-to-me and recommendable. Even if no one else cares what I liked, this should be a fun reference for future me to see what I was into back in 2022 😉
I would love to hear what you especially got benefit or enjoyment from in the last 12 months, and if you’ve heard of or enjoyed anything from my list as well. Let me know on Instagram @ablythecoach or by email, I am always looking for positive and inspiring inputs.
“What would you do if you were a bad girl?” – We Should All Be Millionaires
Ela and I at the Sculpture Garden in Wuppertal before seeing Pina Bausch with friends
Reading
I read 32 books in 2022, and here are my favorites.
Books
Fiction:
Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Sex and Vanity is my latest read by Kevin Kwon
In late 2021 a friend passed One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston on to us and Ela read it to me aloud, finishing in January. This effectively sent me down a queer romance escapade, including…
Meet Me in Madrid by Verity Lowell (academic lesbians – right down my alley!) and
The Ruin of a Rake by Cat Sebastian and a few of her other queer romances that are very spicy (with graphic sex even, be warned) while also being poignantly sweet love stories
Confessions of a 40-Year-Old F#ck Up by Alexandra Potter we found at a little free library in London, and Ela read it to me as our second book of the year
Malibu Rising was my first novel from Taylor Jenkins Reid, which I followed with
Daisy Jones & the Six and I’m looking forward to her other books (starting 2023 with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo…)
American Royals I & II by Katharine McGee were surprisingly thoughtful romps and I plan to follow the series when I get the chance
A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn was my last fiction read of 2022 and I’m anticipating enjoying continuing to read the Veronica Speedwell series.
“Which is what we all want from art, isn’t it? When someone pins down something that feels like it lives inside us?” – Daisy Jones & the Six
Nonfiction:
I started with Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic which is totally inspiring
Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach I read with my parents and is a secular Buddhist mindfulness primer
We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers was my first financial read of the year, followed by
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz on business finance which I have since begun implementing
One of my year-long chosen “challenges” was daily reading and listening from Year of Wonder by Clemency Burton Hill and it has been an informative and enjoyable 365 days of broadening my classical music listening, appreciation, and inspiration for dance improvisation and choreography. If you’d like a sweeping introduction to a diverse range of classical music and to find some new favorite composers, I definitely recommend it.
Some ideas from reading and other media sources which I’ve been implementing in my life include organizing business finances according to Profit First, planning goals and projects like The 12-Week Year (quarterly goal setting, sprints), Tiago Forte’s Building a Second Brain (information management), drawing and creative challenges outside my comfort zone, making something good out of loss from Year of Wonder, and Mind-Mapping.
This year I continuing to apply concepts from recent years as well, such as Atomic Habits, The Bullet Journal Method, Artist’s Way, the work of Austin Kleon and others.
“I made a conscious decision that something positive had to come of this, I wanted to be able to look back and say: ‘If my viola hadn’t been taken, then I never would have…’ and what I wanted most of all was to become a full-time composer.” – Sally Beamish in Year of Wonder
At the Royal Opera House waiting for “Like Water for Chocolate” to begin
Listening
Here’s what I loved listening to in music, both new and old, classical and popular, as well as podcasts which treated my ears:
Music
Lizzo “About Damn Time” and the whole album
Beyonce “You Can’t Break My Soul” and “Cuff It”
Bow Wizzle (Snoop Dogg for kids!) “Affirmation Song” and “Everyone is Different”
Gershwin arr. Turrin “Someone to Watch Over Me”
Nat King Cole “Autumn Leaves”
Paganini “24 Caprices”
Kluengelkoepp “Koelsche Naechte”
Priya Ragu “Lockdown” – we were fortunate to see them live in Cologne for free!
Podcasts
Maintenance Phase
Yoga Meets Movement Science
Connected Yoga Teacher
Marketing Yoga with Confidence (now called the Unapologetic Entrepreneur)
Satisfaction Factor
Soul + Wit
It’s Always Halloween
Tarot for the Wild Soul
Cosmic Cauldron
Good Life Project
Viewing
“Oh, you have the right of it–I do love the ‘mists and mellow fruitfulnes,’ but I can summon enthusiasm enough for any season.” – A Curious Beginning
Movies
“Fire Island,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Dancing Pina” Documentary, “The Holiday” (which is not new, but somehow I had never seen it), and international romance has a special place in my heart!), “Strange Land.”
Series
“A League of Their Own” was a saucy and queer update, “Gentleman Jack” based on fascinating personal diaries, Kleo, “Forensic Files,” we’ve been working our way through all 8 seasons of “The Golden Girls,” “Wednesday” proved to be a timely arrival, and “Heartstopper.”
Videos / YouTube Channels
I am still particularly loving Bullet Journaling, Planning, Journaling content, arts and crafts, enjoying the seasons, productivity and growth, self-care, minimalism, ballet, dance, and performing arts.
A few of my current favorite channels are Chocolate Twist Yoga, Moon Magic Yoga, Naomi Gottlieb-Miller, Bullet Journal (Ryder Carrol & Co), Erin Smith Art, JashiiCorrin, HAY Studio, Men Who Bullet, Use Less, The Minimalists, Sheng Huang, and Ali Abdaal.
Questions for Reflection
What is on your “to be read” list this season?
Which media sources do you find most enriching?
What do you want to learn?
What makes you curious?
What creations will you make and share?
I would be delighted to hear from you via email or on Instagram @ablythecoach
Blythe Stephens, MFA, Bliss Catalyst they/them or she/her Creator of A Blythe Coach : dance through your difficulties and take leaps of faith into a joyful, fulfilling life
Blythe’s “dashboard” for the year, with word / stand / intention for 2023: Beauty
Resolutions Can’t Be Rushed
To be honest, my reflection an reset/refresh process going into a new year does not end on January 1st, and I’m not starting 2o23 with my resolutions, goals, or intentions all fleshed out.
Grateful to have had the time to start the process however, identifying some wins and stops, tallying habits, looking at results and lessons, and deciding what practices to take into the new year.
Celebrated during the holiday season, had quality time with my love and friends, then plunged into journaling my heart out, processing, letting go.
A Refreshing Reset
It takes time and can be a messy, involved process, but I love that refreshed re-set feeling that a new year, changing seasons, or other transitions can bring.
Now I’ve landed on a stand or word for the year which will be my guiding light, and will return to again and again as I navigate what is so come.
Beauty Drives Curiosity & Luck
As philosopher Elaine Scarry argued in the book “This willingness to continually revise one’s own location in order to place oneself in the path of beauty is the basic impulse underlying education. One submits oneself to other minds (teachers) in order to increase the chance that one will be looking in the right direction when a comet makes its sweep across a certain patch of sky.” (p.7)
Staying Present to Our Intentions
Using a couple tools to help keep me present to this intention, I wrote that little poem fragment and added it to a “dashboard” that is part of my bullet journal and also contains important stuff like my Essence, Purpose, Mission, Vision, and Artist’s Prayer.
May your year also be filled with opportunities to witness and create beauty.
Questions for Reflection
What intention or word of the year would you choose?
How will you stay present to your intention when life happens?
Distinguishing our life’s Purpose can provide a compass “True North” that guides all actions and decision making to accomplish/Be what you are on earth for.
Another metaphor for your “Why” is that of taking a birds’ eye view of life in order to ask if what we are creating and doing is aligned with who we are or want to Be in the world.
In “real time” here in the Northern Hemisphere we are experiencing fall and are near the time of Halloween and many other traditional days of the dead, opportunities to reflect on beloved ancestors and others, our own harvest blessings, and prepare for the darkest days of the year.
We are invited now, and at all times, to ask ourselves:
Some identify with spiritual or religious belief that lights them up, others a moral or ethical code based on their values. Whatever your personal belief system, it can prove inspirational to get clear about your Purpose in life, creating meaning for your actions and decisions, a strong identity, a potential legacy that radiates into the world.
Myself, though I deeply appreciate the insights gleaned from my education and a variety of personality tests such as the Meyers-Briggs, Strengthsfinder, Four Tendencies, Astrology, etc. etc., what I have found most valuable in bringing my light into dark times and challenging experiences has been my Essence and Purpose, distinguished in my work with Accomplishment Coaching.
Bark proposes seven questions to “know if you have a strong vision, mission, or North Star” and suggests working with a partner, writing, considering joy and happiness, and flexibility.
You are invited to consider your ultimate life purpose as well as your purpose for each project you undertake and action step you make.
Tips to Find & Practice Purpose
Some ways to winnow out your Why:
Reflect: distinguishing purpose, why, or motivation is an opportunity to add meaning to all of your actions, consider your impact and legacy. This might seem obvious, but intellectually knowing that we have a purpose and that inquiry and reflection will reveal it is not the same thing as doing the work to dig and sift. You may need to remove the noise of your environment and other thoughts and distractions to get in touch with your deeper knowing, using meditation or other mindfulness techniques. Use whatever means of reflection you prefer, or shake it up with new questions and perspectives.
Don’t go it alone: purpose exists on the individual level as well as in community. With the support of others we are better able to realize our purpose and potential.
The “A Quick Way to find your Why” video suggests speaking to people we know in order to clarify our purpose or “why,” and in fact, this is part of the strategy of distinguishing Life Purpose in the school of Ontological Coaching in which I was trained.
Sometimes others are better and/or faster able to reflect our qualities than we are. We could work with trusted friends or colleagues to identify Purpose/Why, or a professional counselor or coach.
Put it on paper (or capture it in some way) as a draft and be reminded of it – Consider writing, speaking and recording, creating art, and other means of distinguishing your Purpose. If you love sticky notes, put them to use, or utilize your journal, a visual reminder, jewelry or art piece, digital reminder, or all of the above. Create structures that remind you of your Why on a regular basis and help you make empowered choices.
Iterate and Edit: tweak the wording however you like, be open to changes in your sense of purpose and growth in your understanding with time. It can be valuable to revisit this exercise from time to time, to strengthen our connection to purpose, to evaluate current actions, and to reformulate and iterate as we see fit.
Apply your why / purpose to situations big and small, actions, habits, projects, decision-making and priorities.
Being my Purpose of Joy with a colorful tree by the Rhine River in Cologne, Germany
Reflection Questions for Inquiry
What light do you bring to the world?
What is your Purpose?
In what ways are your actions aligned with your Purpose? Where are they out of alignment?
How will you be reminded to be present to your Purpose/Why?
What structures will you put in place to evaluate potential actions and decisions according to your larger Purpose?
Coaching Resources
As I discussed, coaching has helped me distinguish my Purpose and Essence and apply them in my life.
Accomplishment Coaching: Introduced me to my Essence, Purpose, Vision, What by When, and countless other ontological coaching power tools
Amanda McKinney’s Marketing Yoga with Confidence podcast and Thrive membership recommend a 90-day planning process with weekly actions and check-ins. I appreciate how from the big-picture to the granular, she emphasizes doable actions formulated with what by when AND why.
For support in clarifying your Essence, Purpose, Vision, Mission, Survival Mechanism, and powerful next steps, you can also sign up for a obligation-free Discovery Callwith me.
Let’s connect by email or on Instagram @ablythecoach – I would love to hear your perspective and assist in choreographing your next leap of faith!
Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst she/her or they/them Creator of A Blythe Coach @blythe helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties
DISCLAIMER: A Blythe Coach recommends that you consult your physician regarding the applicability of any recommendations and follow all safety instructions before beginning any exercise program. When participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself.
Happy spooky season! In celebration of a magical time of year, I’m offering a yummy online yoga workshop that you can do anytime from anywhere you have an internet connection.
Time to tap into your rich internal resources!
It takes just minutes a day to tap into the magic of your own internal resources, so join me for an exploration of the elements within nature and ourselves so we can learn to access inner strength.
You’re invited to the Magic Within You 4-Day Virtual Yoga Workshop Series!
Exploring the concepts of the Elements can also provide fodder for your dance improvisation and choreography practice and other creative endeavors.
When you sign up for the free challenge, you will receive a daily email during the challenge with a brief yoga sequence on video for you to enjoy.
Free Workshop Series Includes:
Daily email greeting the 4 days of the workshop
Pre-recorded yoga sequence on video to practice anytime and anywhere, 4 very different practices around element themes
Live Q&A on Instagram
Free consultation to personalize your practice
Ongoing support, resources, and joy through the weekly A Blythe Coach email newsletter
Audio for this blog article on the A Blythe Coach podcast
I look forward to walking with you through the yoga challenge and beyond, exploring the elements and other concepts that will enrich all areas of your life!
Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst she/her or they/them A Blythe Coach: ablythecoach.com @ablythecoach helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties
DISCLAIMER: A Blythe Coach recommends that you consult your physician regarding the applicability of any recommendations and follow all safety instructions before beginning any exercise program. When participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself.
