Ruthann M. Wilson

Gratitude: A 30‑Day Practice to Begin and End Each Day with Thanks

Gratitude is a simple yet profound practice that can shift how we experience life. By beginning and ending each day with thanks, we invite peace, contentment, and a deeper awareness of the blessings already present.

Being grateful is a simple practice that can have a profound effect on your life. Everyone has something to be grateful for – food, shelter, clothing, family, friends, health, career, financial abundance, transportation, new beginnings, new opportunities, life lessons – just to name a few. When we focus on what we have and feel a deep sense of gratitude for it, we are able to shift into a state of peace and contentment even if life is not exactly as we wish it to be.

For the next 30 days, I invite you into a gentle rhythm of gratitude, twofold in its simplicity:

Begin and end each day with gratitude. You may be thinking that you are too busy and not able to add anything else to your schedule. I hear you! It doesn’t have to take a lot of time. As an example, in the morning, I simply give thanks for the gift of a new day as soon as I open my eyes. In the evening, I review the day and express gratitude for whatever I consider to be gifts, blessings, or life lessons. I enjoy writing things down as it gives me an opportunity to review what I have captured over time. Create a daily practice that works for you and your lifestyle.

Express gratitude to others. Make a point to call, send an email, send a text, write a handwritten note to someone each day expressing gratitude.

If you miss a day, it’s okay! Work toward creating a consistent practice over the next 30 days and beyond.

Gratitude is a daily choice to notice, honor, and give thanks for the gifts of life.

Thank you for pausing here. If something in these words offered insight or stirred a shift, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

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With gratitude,
Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Fall Reflections: Gather your gifts, blessings, and life lessons

Hello October!

I don’t know about you, but I can hardly believe it is the last quarter of the calendar year. What a journey it has been from January to today!

I welcome the change of season and the gifts and opportunities that it brings. Autumn is a season of harvest, thanksgiving, reflection, completion, and letting go of of things that no longer bring you joy or serve your highest good.

Quiet Reflection

This month is a good time to begin harvesting by asking yourself questions like “What did I learn?”, “How did I grow?”, “Who or what has been my greatest blessing?”. Asking and answering these questions in writing is a wonderful way to bring awareness to the gifts, blessings, and life lessons that have been provided to you this year. Schedule time to sit in quiet reflection and answer the suggested questions or create your own. Set an intention to make this process a seasonal practice, if it isn’t already one. Use the power of the written word to solidify this practice.

Evaluate Progress

It’s also a great time to evaluate progress relative to your goals. If you have formal goals, check your progress relative to the milestones you established at the beginning of the year. If you don’t have formal goals, think about what you set out to accomplish at the beginning of the year and what you have accomplished to date. In evaluating progress, think not only about what you have accomplished, but who you have become as a part of the process.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you know someone who might benefit from reading it, please share by clicking on a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Journal Practice: Tips and Benefits for Reflection and Growth

In this short video, I discuss the benefits of beginning and maintaining a journal practice.

Thank you for taking the time to watch this video. If you know someone who might benefit from the message, please share it by clicking on a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Monthly Reflection: Begin with the end in mind

We are all given the gift of twenty-four hours each day to spend as we choose. It is a gift that we treasure through the choices that we make. In the busyness of life, it’s easy to operate on autopilot and forget that we have the power to choose how we spend our time.

Time is one of your most valuable resources and it is inextricably linked to your life. The way you spend your time is the way you spend your life. The key to making the most of your time is to stay focused on what truly matters. It is an intentional process of reflecting on how you are spending your time relative to your values and goals.

As we begin a new month, I invite you to set aside 15 minutes to begin with the end in mind. Ask yourself the following questions with the end of the month in mind.

💥What have I accomplished?

💥Who have I spent time with?

💥How do I feel?

💥What do I need to start, stop, or do more of so that I can feel (whatever you identified)?

Create a daily structure that will enable you to bring what you have envisioned to life. Evaluate your progress on a weekly basis. Be patient with yourself and trust the process.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Know Yourself: The Key to Personal Success

SUCCESS is deeply personal and likely to change as you journey through life. Regardless of your age, it’s important to have your own definition of success to inspire and guide you. When you know what is important to you, and you understand why it’s important, you build a great foundation. This helps in creating your own definition of success.

This week, I invite you to deepen your knowledge about yourself. Use the power of the written word to work through the following:

💥KNOW who you are. Identify 3-5 positive “I AM” statements that describe you at your core. Affirm these qualities on a daily basis.

💥KNOW your values/what is most important to you. Write down 3-5 core values.

💥KNOW the reason(s) the values you identified are most important to you.

💥ENVISION what your life would look like if you were living your values. If your life is exactly as you envisioned, high five! If not, start to make changes to bring your life into alignment with your values.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you know someone who will gain from reading it, please share by clicking on a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Harnessing the Power of Questions for Personal Growth

A regular practice of asking and answering powerful questions is a great way to keep yourself open to possibility and moving forward; however, not all questions are created equal. For example, asking yourself “Why am I stuck?” will yield a lot of reasons as to why you’re stuck. Important to know, but it doesn’t move you to action. A powerful follow-up question would be “What is the best thing I can do right now to move forward?” This two-step line of questioning yields insight as well as creativity and action.

The word power is defined as influence. A powerful question will influence how you think and feel and motivate you to action. Asking and answering questions can be easily incorporated into your journal practice OR simply use a notebook to begin this practice. There is power in putting your questions and answers in writing.

If you need support in creating a journal practice, check out my video about creating a journal practice.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Master Prioritization: Align Your Actions with What Matters

“Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.”—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Prioritization is a powerful way to bring clarity and focus to your life. Becoming aware of where you have gaps between what you say is important and what you actually do on a day-to-day basis is the first step to creating better alignment between priorities and actions.

This week’s challenge:

🔸Begin each day with a list of your three most important priorities and actions.

🔸End your day by reviewing your priorities and actions.

🔸Did you focus on your most important priorities? If so, make note of what helped you stay focused on your top priorities. If not, why not? Use what you learn to make changes/adjustments.

If there is a gap between your priorities and action, see it as an opportunity for personal growth. Recommit to your list of priorities and take action.

The same practice of prioritization that brings clarity to life also strengthens your ability to focus on career goals and professional growth.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Start Small: Overcoming Procrastination

This week, I invite you to get started on something that you have been putting off. Start small and gain momentum if procrastination is an ongoing challenge.

Envision a desired future state and write it down and/or find an image that captures what you envision. Keep your vision in a place where you can see it on a regular basis.

Outline the steps needed to bring your vision to life as well as a date for completing each step.

Create an affirmation that aligns with your future state and work with it on a daily basis.

Each day, commit to taking three actions to move toward your desired future state.

Hold yourself accountable by assessing your commitment to action at the end of each day.

Don’t wait until you are “ready” to begin. Start small, gain momentum, and bring your vision to life. Plan and prepare for it or something better to happen.

The same discipline of starting small and building momentum applies in your career. Each step forward strengthens your confidence and clarity.

Believe in your ability to succeed.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace

Spring Reflections: Awakening, Clearing, and New Beginnings

Each season brings gifts and opportunities for growth as we journey through the year. Spring is a season of hope and possibility.

On a personal level, spring invites us to start fresh, be hopeful, joyful, creative, and open to possibility. There are many ways to embrace the season: cleaning and clearing clutter, starting a new project, setting meaningful goals, and reconnecting with nature and the planet we call home, just to name a few.

The spring ritual of cleaning and clearing out clutter is a great way to transition into the energy of the season to make room for new beginnings, new opportunities, and new blessings to come into your life. A great place to start is to clean and clear your home/space of:

Things you no longer need or use.
Things you no longer feel connected to.
Things that keep you stuck/anchored in the past.

Begin a new project

Life is always inviting us to reach, stretch, and grow. Initiate a new beginning by starting a new project or setting a new goal that will help you stretch and grow. Stay open to possibility and be willing to leave your comfort zone.

Deepen your sense of connection to nature and the planet that is our home.

Spend time in natural settings and experience the beauty of the season as it unfolds.
Plant and nurture seeds/seedlings and watch them grow.
Make direct contact with the earth. Put your bare feet on the ground, sit or lay down on the ground.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. You can receive notifications of new posts by clicking on the follow button or click here to join my mailing list to receive email updates. If you know someone that might benefit from reading this post, please share it by clicking on a share button below.

All the best,
Ruthann

Embrace Your Career Journey: The Power of Being Present

In addition to being a writer/author, I’ve had a long and fruitful career in corporate America. I had an opportunity to speak with a group of graduating students about my work and experience growing a career in a corporate setting. The students were a part of intensive training program that provided them with technical and professional skills. I love new beginnings and the energy of new graduates about to embark on their careers. I recall graduating from college and being excited about my first job post graduation. I had a very supportive supervisor and transition into my career.

One of the six career lessons that I shared with the graduates is to be where you are. The lesson was shared through a corporate lens; however, it’s also a powerful life lesson.

My message as it relates to being where you are in a corporate setting is to know what is expected of you, do your current job really well, and be open to new assignments/opportunities that can help you stretch and grow into the next role. Oftentimes, when people are early in a career, the goal is get to the next level quickly. The focus often becomes getting promoted/getting to the next level instead of learning, growing, excelling, and enjoying their current role. Moving too quickly can be problematic when an employee is promoted and not prepared for their next role. I encouraged them to be fully present and embrace the journey of growing into their next role.

The bigger life lesson is to live in the here and now; not in the past or in the future, but where you are right now. You can make the most of where you are by cultivating habits and practices that enable you stay grounded and present in your life. A few things to consider:

Give thanks for your life, even if it’s not exactly as you wish it to be
Reduce multi-tasking and focus on doing one thing at a time
Give other people the gift of your full attention
Spend time in nature and literally put your feet on the ground
Be intentional with your time
Breathe deeply
Meditate/embrace silence

Being where you are is about making the most of where you are right now. It has a way of opening doors and drawing people and opportunities to you.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. You can receive notifications of new posts by clicking on the follow button or click here to join my mailing list to receive email updates. If you know someone that might benefit from this message, please share by clicking on a share button below.

All the best,

Ruthann

In-Progress, LLC | Walk your path with intention, at your own pace