Regrouping
"You don't have any idea what you want because your life has just changed completely." ~ Barbara Sher
Oh my word, can I get an AMEN to the quote above! Life as we know it has completely changed. Nothing seems to be the same. We have no idea what the immediate future holds, much less what to expect next year.
I am sure that none of you would have ventured to guess that the life you enjoyed on 1/1/20 wouldn't be anywhere close to the life you have on 7/22/20. Somethings are better than they were in January.
Maybe you're working from home and enjoying being around your kiddos more. But perhaps you're poised to go back to work in the office next month, and school just announce virtual learning for the fall. How will you make that work for your family? Worse yet, maybe you have lost your job and aren't sure how you will pay the mortgage when the $600 weekly stimulus ends.
If your life has suddenly changed, know that it's time to regroup. While what we are going through is tough for sure, it has given us a new array of choices. Choices we might not have thought of before.
Do you love your job, or has it been slowly wearing you down to a nubbin? If you can work remotely for the foreseeable future, maybe it's time to move to the country where housing is more affordable. The kids will have room to run. Now might be the time to add some physical activity to your schedule. Or put your workout in the timeslot that was previously assigned to commuting. The possibilities are endly.
It's time to regroup. We are pulling on our big girl panties so that we can confidently move in the direction of our NEW future.
The best way to not wallow in the malaise of unexpected change is to stop looking back. It's by looking hopefully toward the future that we will find our new path. Here's a fun way to do that.
David Bach wrote the book "Start Late, Finish Rich." He has a nifty little exercise to help you leave what was in the rearview mirror as you navigate your way into the future. Here's how it works:
Grab a note pad and across the top write, "IF ONLY..."
Then proceed to list all the things you look back on that keep you from embracing the present. Here some examples: "If only I hadn't quit my job with XYZ company, I'd be a manager by now." (psst...you HATED that job). "If only I hadn't sold that stock in 2016, it would be worth $200k by now." And so on. Write it all out, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Now take your list out to the firepit and lit it on fire! Releasing all the "If Only's" into the universe. This will allow you to lift your head and look toward your new future.
"You can become the person you really want to be. You start by letting go of all the old stories you keep replaying in your head like a broken record." ~ David Bach
"Confidently go in the directions of your dreams."
By the way, I burned the bejesus out of my fingers when I set my list on fire. It was quite the flame, as there were plenty of “If Only” statements!!
I am passionate about helping women find the courage to take steps forward in their next chapter, but often we don't know what our next chapter is.
If you are interested in finding out how you can create a life that exceeds your expectations, a life with more meaning, sign up for your FREE Life Purpose Quiz, and start down the path that leads to your purpose.