"And now I'm going to go write this up in my blog," was the last thing I said on my first Wisdom app talk. I am not a liar on purpose; things happen. After that infamous line, I checked in on other Social Media, listened to other people answer questions, decided I was thirsty, had some water, noticed the granola was ready to put away, put away the granola, answered nature's call, saw the dryer was almost done, got my laptop, heard the dryer go off, found the perfect picture, started my blog, and then left to fold the laundry. I am back. As I consider what to keep in mind as I create a new week, avoiding burnout plays a considerable role. What will be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back? Perhaps this camel will spit in the eye of the system and run wild, using the stores in its hump to survive. Maybe it is time to lay down the cape. I do not have to be a superwoman. Today has started: "Rest, you're doing it wrong." This weekend, I kept my usual wake-up time of stupid o'clock instead of sleeping in. I did not go for a walk but decided to be nice to my kid and wash their uniform. What am I trying to accomplish? Am I being nice or reinforcing my self-identity as a supermom martyr? It could be both.
Discernment has always been a challenge for me. I often get bogged down in the minutiae and tiny details. It's like I sweat all the small stuff. Knowing that Monday is already chocked full, being able to focus on what's important is critical. I had a great conversation with my kid that made me realize the levers that cause me to be an enabler in the wrong sense of the word. Clear and direct communication that sets expectations allows me to be okay with leaving some things to others. Where I focus my energy determines not only what gets done but how I will feel after things are done. I am not a victim. I am the boss of me and recognize that I have surrendered quite a bit of personal power. I hate making decisions, so I think the systems I set up will play an even more important role this week. Will I make it easy to make clear choices about actions, or will I continue to jump from fire to fire? The day is still young and malleable. What can I mold and shape for the raw material of time and intention?
Let's be honest. Most humans do not operate solely from logic. Our feelings and physical needs shape our behavior. Judges give harsher verdicts when they are hungry. I am less resilient when I am tired and am less able to self-regulate when I get hungry. I am the queen of sticking a pin in it, and, per Carl Jung am allowing what I resist to persist. How can I tie this all together during the week? This is where check-ins and self-interrogation will come into play. Being present can help prevent running on auto-pilot, which is a massive part of being busy. If I am self-aware of my physical and emotional needs, I will be more strategic in using my limited energy to focus on what I want to accomplish. Learning to swim is similar to learning to fly, as you need to be aware of the currents. How can I choose the path of least resistance to achieve my goals? A big part is giving myself time to process before jumping into the next thing and trusting my inner voice. Do you listen to your inner voice? (PS My inner voice is yelling at me about coffee, but my grown-up voice is telling me to stick with the flow of this post and finish it. Coffee will be the reward!)
If I tie all of these aspects together, I believe I can set myself up to have a successful week. Remembering that energy works in a finite constraint in that it is neither created nor destroyed means that I have to have the discipline to be intentional while paying attention to my emotional and physical needs. Will I continue the burnout cycle or the thriving cycle? I have plenty of data points to analyze. What are my triggers? Where are the pitfalls? To distract is to divert attention from something. The challenge is to discern if something is a real distraction and thus to be avoided or a gentle redirection. Historically, when obstacles keep coming up, I am missing something or doing the wrong thing. When spreadsheets or websites would not open for me, for example, I often had not included a critical component, resulting in the wrong conclusion. Trusting your intuition is a practice and a mental muscle to work out. If you are reading this, someday can be now. The cit choice is yours. You do not need to have it all figured out. What is your next step? Mine is coffee. Namaste.
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