Are you ever slightly overwhelmed by those gurus who say we should have rituals and habits to be successful or happy in life? Who said we need all the structure and all this balance to get through a day?
It really isn’t that complicated, no matter what is going on in our lives. Why are we all trying so hard to create these schedules and disciplines for things that are supposed to be our “downtime”?
Maybe I’ve lived with too much structure in my business every day for 30 years so when it’s not a part of my agency/client/servicing/representing/pitching/deal-making mode, I just want to let loose?!
I want to wake up and see what kind of mood I’m in before I decide what I want to do for the next hour and what order I want to do it in, before I walk out the front door and business confronts me head on. Or when my day is over, I want to walk in the door in the evening and just ease into the next thing or kick off my shoes and maybe make dinner… or maybe not. I want the freedom from a schedule and a “must do” … just for a little while. It provides the space for dreaming, imagining and creating on all levels and we could all do with a little more of that and a little more of nurturing our soul! Between family, friends, work, hobbies and obligations and that 24/7 device in our hand…we have to work harder at NOT having structure and just being present.
Of course, you want to feel productive on some level, but we can do it guilt free and with less pressure so that it strikes a bit more balance and you’ll stick to it.
And what if you are seeking a little Reinvention space in your life – can you imagine fitting that into your creative left side brain with everything else in your world occupying your every thought and minute of your day?
So, if you’re seeking a 10-minute Reinvention or a major life Reinvention, these little windows that you give yourself could be just the time to allow these seeds to grow. Pick a few things that you can do in 10 – 15 minutes each day. These are Baby Steps towards your big goal that are a marker on that Reinvention Roadmap. Whether it’s giving a thought to the project, whether it’s making a note about something specific to do later – a call, some research, writing part of the plan. Maybe it’s signing up for a language class, researching where you can go horseback riding that weekend looking into what a new job could look like and reading about it or finding mentors on LinkedIn. Perhaps it’s going for a morning walk, reading that book or listening to a podcast while you’re getting ready – make just a small dent in the so-called Reinvention you wish you could do and watch your new habits form. Pick one thing that brings you just a little bit closer and make that time for you!
Baby Steps are huge! That may sound like an oxymoron but when you look at the impact of taking baby steps you will recognize what a difference it makes in actually reaching those goals as opposed to doing absolutely nothing about them.
I don’t have any crazy special things that I do every day. Usually, but not always, my joy is to walk to the kitchen blurry eyed and in a dreamy state and make that first cup of coffee. While it’s brewing, I stand in my kitchen and stretch, open my heart and my chi, stare out the window at the trees, think about my day and what I want to accomplish. If there’s time I’ll take a brief walk with our dog, Rocky and/or listen to a podcast or call my best friend back east.
Every day is its own delightful surprise and every day is different. Depending on what I wake up to and how I feel, rather than creating that overly structured first hour, I prefer less discipline, a peek at some emails to get a feel for what’s to come, and then go with my own flow till it’s “game on.”
This is what energizes me and gives me a sense of control before I truly engage with hundreds of emails and texts from colleagues, clients, vendors, partners and friends and my entire day gets shifted. I’ve already established what MY plans are for the day and how those will then fit into it. I know that when I step out that front door to a day of work structure, schedules, meetings and conference calls, I’ve set the tone for my priorities no matter what comes at me.
Set the intention for your day – be selfish and give yourself the control you need and deserve. Establish what you need and how your day is going to go. Decide what YOU want to accomplish and not what others are dictating by sending you emails and texts with what they want you to do. This is how you will create change.
These tiny little differences in your behavior will move you closer towards that Reinvention – or will BE your Reinvention!
Aren’t you excited to try this? Enjoy and #HappyReinventing