Stuck Up
"When doing becomes infused with the timeless quality of Being, that is success."- Eckhart Tolle
I think I’m in a rut. If it’s at all possible for someone to be in a rut while simultaneously tackling their own well-being and spewing forth philosophical theories about life every week. A rut is nothing more than a routine that’s no longer working. I find that when I force an emotional upheaval or just plain “think about things too hard,” I start to inch back a little and retreat into familiar behavior and/or counterintuitive attitudes. The benefit of being somewhat self-aware, however, is that you are able to stop backsliding a little more quickly and recognize when you need to mix things up and try to break out of old habits.
A friend of mine recently told me about a plan to do “100 Things in 100 Days.” I think this is a great idea, especially for a control freak like myself. When I attempt to take on lifestyle changes, the difficulty lies in finding a starting point and I generally rely on jumping in. The problem with just jumping in, however, is that it occasionally leaves you in the middle of a pool without the motivation to stop floating and start swimming. Jumping into the deep end to shock the system can be effective, but I find that I want to wade into the shallow end with purpose. So, instead of tackling a mighty impressive 100 Things, I’m going for 30 Things in 30 Days and seeing how it goes.
I won’t bore you with the details of what this list includes because, believe me, there are some seriously mundane tasks on here ranging from small home repairs to cleaning out closets to purchasing a new bike helmet. But what these small things represent is to supply larger motivation to streamline my life. Finding some accomplishment in taking an extra few minutes every day to think about small and larger goals and to take some form of action. Being and Doing. For me, it’s about taking note of the current seasonal change and capitalizing on the natural desire to shed some of my clutter like the soon-to-be falling leaves. Checking things off of a list can be cathartic; as long as I take the time to appreciate the task and the greater purpose it serves instead of looking at it like just another thing to add to my day.
One of my “things” I WILL tell you about, because I started the list today and decided to just go for one of the bigger ones that isn’t so mundane. Signing up for next year’s Indy Mini Marathon was one of those tasks that probably would have waited until Day 30, as I have talked a big talk but secretly doubted myself and my ability to actually take this commitment on. Let it be known that I will not be running, rather walking; but the more I think about doing this, the more I feel it’s a “now or never” situation. Rationally, I know this isn’t true, but there’s something very dramatic about deciding to do something you feel you have no business attempting. I received an email this morning from our HR department at work (who generously pays for our registration if we wish to participate) and perceived it as some sort of twisted signal that if I can push past this insecurity, the next 29 days of my experiment will seem like a breeze. So, with a few lingering doubts and a single thought of “Good god, what have I just done?”, I turned in my registration. For me, the single act of signing up signals my commitment to myself for the next 7 months. It’s an opportunity to push myself physically outside of my comfort zone and find inspiration in my willingness to try, even if I fail.
This is what the 30 Days is all about: ticking things off the list, but taking extra time to appreciate the effort. Taking 30 Days to do 30 Things is an exercise in making time for myself every day to contemplating small accomplishments and sloughing off excess stress by removing daily, patterned obstacles. It’s an opportunity to get to “things I’ve been meaning to do” but can never seem to find the time for. It’s silly, really, that it would take some sort of proclamation to prod productivity and motivation. Hopefully, at the end of 30 Days, I’ll begin to trust my instinct to prioritize on the fly a bit more and find myself skipping over ruts in the road with ease. Finding my optimism more frequently, and really appreciating the willingness to simply Be but also Do. Allowing myself to feel disappointment, but dismiss discouragement. Looking at “ruts” as an opportunity to break routines that no longer work and that inhibit rather than enhance my life.
“One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.” -Lucille Ball
I think I’m in a rut. If it’s at all possible for someone to be in a rut while simultaneously tackling their own well-being and spewing forth philosophical theories about life every week. A rut is nothing more than a routine that’s no longer working. I find that when I force an emotional upheaval or just plain “think about things too hard,” I start to inch back a little and retreat into familiar behavior and/or counterintuitive attitudes. The benefit of being somewhat self-aware, however, is that you are able to stop backsliding a little more quickly and recognize when you need to mix things up and try to break out of old habits.
A friend of mine recently told me about a plan to do “100 Things in 100 Days.” I think this is a great idea, especially for a control freak like myself. When I attempt to take on lifestyle changes, the difficulty lies in finding a starting point and I generally rely on jumping in. The problem with just jumping in, however, is that it occasionally leaves you in the middle of a pool without the motivation to stop floating and start swimming. Jumping into the deep end to shock the system can be effective, but I find that I want to wade into the shallow end with purpose. So, instead of tackling a mighty impressive 100 Things, I’m going for 30 Things in 30 Days and seeing how it goes.
I won’t bore you with the details of what this list includes because, believe me, there are some seriously mundane tasks on here ranging from small home repairs to cleaning out closets to purchasing a new bike helmet. But what these small things represent is to supply larger motivation to streamline my life. Finding some accomplishment in taking an extra few minutes every day to think about small and larger goals and to take some form of action. Being and Doing. For me, it’s about taking note of the current seasonal change and capitalizing on the natural desire to shed some of my clutter like the soon-to-be falling leaves. Checking things off of a list can be cathartic; as long as I take the time to appreciate the task and the greater purpose it serves instead of looking at it like just another thing to add to my day.
One of my “things” I WILL tell you about, because I started the list today and decided to just go for one of the bigger ones that isn’t so mundane. Signing up for next year’s Indy Mini Marathon was one of those tasks that probably would have waited until Day 30, as I have talked a big talk but secretly doubted myself and my ability to actually take this commitment on. Let it be known that I will not be running, rather walking; but the more I think about doing this, the more I feel it’s a “now or never” situation. Rationally, I know this isn’t true, but there’s something very dramatic about deciding to do something you feel you have no business attempting. I received an email this morning from our HR department at work (who generously pays for our registration if we wish to participate) and perceived it as some sort of twisted signal that if I can push past this insecurity, the next 29 days of my experiment will seem like a breeze. So, with a few lingering doubts and a single thought of “Good god, what have I just done?”, I turned in my registration. For me, the single act of signing up signals my commitment to myself for the next 7 months. It’s an opportunity to push myself physically outside of my comfort zone and find inspiration in my willingness to try, even if I fail.
This is what the 30 Days is all about: ticking things off the list, but taking extra time to appreciate the effort. Taking 30 Days to do 30 Things is an exercise in making time for myself every day to contemplating small accomplishments and sloughing off excess stress by removing daily, patterned obstacles. It’s an opportunity to get to “things I’ve been meaning to do” but can never seem to find the time for. It’s silly, really, that it would take some sort of proclamation to prod productivity and motivation. Hopefully, at the end of 30 Days, I’ll begin to trust my instinct to prioritize on the fly a bit more and find myself skipping over ruts in the road with ease. Finding my optimism more frequently, and really appreciating the willingness to simply Be but also Do. Allowing myself to feel disappointment, but dismiss discouragement. Looking at “ruts” as an opportunity to break routines that no longer work and that inhibit rather than enhance my life.
“One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.” -Lucille Ball
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