Have you ever been overwhelmed by those gurus and life coaches who say we need to have rituals and habits to be successful or happy in life? I mean, who said we need all this structure and balance to get through a day? This whole concept needs to be Reinvented…
It really isn’t that complicated! Why are we all trying so hard to fill our “downtime” with these schedules and disciplines? Maybe I’m biased. I’ve lived with too much structure in my business every day for 30 years, so when I’m not in my “agency - client - deal-making mode,” I just want to let loose!
Personally, 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. I want some “me-time” 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 need the freedom from a schedule and the endless tasks … just for a little while. It provides the space for dreaming, imagining, and creating on all levels and allows me to turn every bit of free time into an opportunity for Reinvention. This way, my schedule, my habits, and my rituals are constantly adapting, shifting, and evolving to better suit the ever-changing future I see for myself. Between family, friends, work, hobbies, obligations, and that 24/7 device in our hands…we have to work harder at NOT having a structure - or a ritual - and just being present.
By not sacrificing our free time to a rigged schedule, we allow ourselves to eliminate the pressure that stems from staying productive. This, in turn, can make your life feel more balanced and help you maintain your healthy habits rather than shying away from them.
If you’re seeking a 10-minute Reinvention or a major life Reinvention, these little ritual 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.
“Where do I get started?”
It’s up to you! Maybe it's giving some thought to a project, maybe 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, or possibly even looking into what a new job could look like and reading about it 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 – unforced – habits form. Pick one thing that brings you just a little bit closer and make that time for you!
Baby Steps are huge! As oxymoronic as that sounds, 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, and think about what I want to accomplish that day. If there’s time, I’ll take a brief walk while calling my friends back east or listen to a podcast. That’s my ritual (subject to change by the day).
Every day is its own delightful surprise and every day is different. Depending on how I am feeling when I wake up, I ease into the day on my own terms. Rather than creating that overly structured and overwhelming first hour, I prefer a bit less discipline. Maybe I’ll peek at some emails to get a feel for what’s to come… or maybe I won’t. The point is, I get to go with my own flow till it’s “game on.”
This is what energizes me. This is what gives me a sense of control before I truly engage with hundreds of emails and texts from colleagues, clients, vendors, partners, etc... 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 into 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. Reinvent those “rituals” into something that works for you! 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? Let’s do it!
Enjoy and #HappyReinventing
Comments