To say the least, this year has been an interesting year!
There have been quite a bit of ups and downs, a good handful of meltdowns (if not two),extra sleep on some days and not so great of sleep on others, well and of course the exercise has bobbed and weaved with being dedicated to climb the highest hills all the way to getting some breathing techniques because I don't feel like moving.
I must say, being uncomfortable in life shows you that it is OK to have moments of all kinds. The uneasy feeling allows us to have growth, forced to recognize what is and what is not working, and dealing cards that we have no choice but to adapt to.
The saying I hear repeatedly this year was, "I want things to go back to normal." And while yes I understand this statement and the broad, general blanket of feelings behind it. But can I be completely honest? Things shouldn't go back to "normal." We have a prime opportunity to make a NEW normal and create adjustments for priorities that were not previously working for us.
This year was uncomfortable for myself and many others. It can very well stay uncomfortable in 2021. I ponder though with the thought of a new year hours away, how many of us are slightly hoping that it will magically change "back to normal." Well I hate to break it to you but... we need to CREATE our new normal.
So how do we do that?
Well, let's first ask ourselves a series of questions to assess how we feel...
What made me happy this year? What positive/negative feelings did you have? Why did you have those feelings/where do they come from? What did not make you happy this year? What don't you like doing anymore? What would you love to start doing more of? What do you need to work on?
Take those items and now let's figure out how we can address them.
Example:
"I didn't like the feeling of being overwhelmed and exhausted by working so much"
Next, ask yourself a subset of questions to address why you felt this way...
Can I reduce my hours? Can I work more efficiently? Was this temporary? Was I having enough me time to "balance" these hours?
Then create an action plan (with small actionable steps)...
- I am going to set a time that I stop working regardless of how much more is on the to-do list.
- I am going to spend 10 minutes a day doing an activity I enjoy.
- I am going to find another job that doesn't require so many hours and demand I overwork myself.
Find someone to hold you accountable after you have created an action plan. You can incorporate dates, guidelines, milestones, etc. to keep you on track of doing what is best for you.
Remember 2021 will not be any different than 2020 unless you put work into making a change!
I hope this helped you and that things are looking up for you right now. Times are a bit lonely so feel free to reach out and email me, I'd love to chat!
With love & exercise,
Dani Jones
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