Weekly Challenge

Trying Something Different

I have always been one of those people who is willing to give something a try.  I love the opportunity to eat something new, go somewhere new, change work direction, try a new hobby or interest.   However, I have equally noticed as I have gotten older that I am also very comfortable staying within older patterns and routines of behaviour.   In fact, some of these old patterns can almost derail my new initiatives and adventures.

So, in other words there is always an interplay and maybe even a tension between the comfort of the familiar and the excitement of the new.

Now I have just come back from a weekend where my project management skills of a previous professional life were essential, and I was engaged with people and activities that I don’t do on a day to day basis.   The effect at the end of the weekend was that I was physically tired but mentally energised when I sat at my laptop on Monday morning.  When I was asked about whether I would be back again next year, I quickly realised that part of my decision making is based around the energy of the weekend and the benefit to me personally of spending the weekend involved in doing something different from my normal routine.   At the same time because I do it annually there is that element of comfort from it being familiar.

When we find ourselves bogged down in a rut doing the same thing day in and day out, there can be a significant negative impact on our energy levels.   If we want to shift that energy, then we need to consider where it is that we can create a shift of a change to do things differently.   By making some small changes we can create a shift that will make the tasks easier to complete.

Now I do understand that in many situations we may not be able to control the specifics of a given situation.   What we can do is take control of how we arrive into the situation, how we behave and act within the situation and how we mind ourselves and our energies afterwards.

So, my challenge to you this week is to consider an area of your life where you would consider yourself to be stuck in a bit of a rut, where the routine is dragging your energy levels down.  Rather than focus on making changes to the task itself, take the opportunity to look at your mindset and actions before your go into the situation and, when you come back out.

Have you drifted into a pattern of feeling your head up with negative thoughts before the task?  Are you going into it tired on a regular basis? Could you change the timing to suit you better?  In other words, look at the processes and your thoughts before the task so that you can create a different mindset in advance.

And again, when it is over, consider the what you are doing to replenish your energy and sense of well-being

 

Warm Wishes,

Mary Corbett