READY, (RE)SET, GO!!!
I recently asked a group of lady friends to share what brings them joy. One response stood out for me, because it is soooooo rare that I hear this:
“My job, my boss are the best.”
Well, whether or not our jobs bring us joy, we all need to recharge to keep going, being our best selves, and doing our best work.
Sometimes we need more than a recharge, though. Sometimes we need a reset.
When the batteries in my wall clock run out of charge (dies), I know because the time is wrong. In fact, the hands of the clock are stuck at the wrong time. When we replace the battery, although the hands of the clock begin to move again, the time does not automatically become right. We have to reset it.
Recharge for us means to just pause and take a time out. A break. A nap. Sometimes it means a longer pause than usual. A vacation. Sometimes a mini-sabbatical. It is stepping away from the noise, the usual, the regular, the expected, the obligations, the norm.
Why? To reflect and ‘regroup’. To renew, to restore, recover, rejuvenate.
If however, we do not take some of that time to reset, even though we may have renewed physical energy, we remain stuck in our old mindsets, and the real changes we need to see in our lives to remain motivated and passionate about what we are doing, are not realized.
If we don’t reset, we stand the risk of running off track, busy going where we did not set out to go, or going where we no longer want or need to go. We lose focus. We can even lose our sense of self - “why am I doing all of this again?
It’s hard to do this kind of reflection bobbing and weaving through the everyday. Sometimes we need to retreat in order to continue to advance. You know, one step forward, two steps back, or maybe it’s two steps forward, one step back? Whichever it is, the natural rhythm of life is an ebb and flow, just like the waves of the sea.
To reset, we need regular time alone…….with God, to ensure we are in alignment with the plan He has for us:
I always have a list of things to do, neatly categorized under various headings - work, personal, household, church ministry, projects, etc. Under work I have various headings for each client, and one titled prospective clients. Under church, I have a heading for each ministry, for example, Community Bible Study, Marriage Ministry, et cetera.
I would check off each day as I complete an item, and those I am unable to complete on any one day, I carry forward to the next day. I review and refresh my list each morning and tick off as I go along during the day.
I have a notebook in which I would manage my list. I also use the notebook to write notes as I work each day, phone numbers, things I need to get back to later, important points, requests from others, et cetera, et cetera.
Sometimes, it gets so hectic that I don’t take the time to tick off as I go along. Sometimes I don’t take the time to review my list and I just dive into the day. Sometimes I don’t date my pages or go back over my notes to jog my memory about the things I wrote down. I just keep adding to the notes day after day, the handwriting sometimes getting really ‘crab-toe’ or ‘crapaud-foot’, disorganized and jumbled.
Eventually, it becomes so many pages of scribbles with no rhyme or reason that I begin to struggle to find that number I need to call back that person, I can’t remember if I did this or that, I don’t know where in the sea of words to find that name and address I wrote down when I finally need it.
My little system to keep organized becomes totally useless. I become disorganized and inefficient. I even become confused and unproductive.
Do you know what I do? I stop.....and reset. I take some time to go through those pages of notes and I start on a clean page, sometimes even a new notebook. I go over those pages and review my notes, cross off what I need to cross off, save the numbers and addresses where I would easily be able to retrieve them when I need to, and I create brand new lists for outstanding items, IF they are still relevant.
I feel sooooo much better when I have reset. My mind is clearer, I am energized and focused, and I have a new lease on my days. I then begin again to do what I know works best for me to stay on track and achieve my goals.
Inevitably, I do have to go through that process of stopping, reviewing, and starting on a clean page again from time to time. Not because the system does not work, but it’s just natural for us (at least me) to always get to a point of disequilibrium. I have learned to accept that and to recognize when it is time to stop and do the work to get back into equilibrium.
Well, my system for keeping organized is a microcosm of life in general. Sometimes we need much more than just to get on a clean page in our notebooks. We need to get on a clean page, full stop. We need to get away for a day or two and do a deep dive reflection.
So what does this reflection involve?
Here is what works for me each time I need to reset:
1) Remember why I am doing what I am doing in the first place.
What is your vision for your life - your family, career/business, legacy/your purpose and calling? Based on your vision, what are your goals and your plan of action?
Do you have a vision for your life? Have you set goals for the next 5 years of your life and for this year? If not, It’s time to prayerfully develop them.
Ask God to show you what he has in mind for you, and make a plan to do it. Remember He has a plan for you.
Let me know by clicking on the comment button below if you would like me to share with you a recording of my free VISION BOARD workshop which I hosted last December, and I will send it to you.
2) Detox and/or declutter your mind, body, and spirit.
For each aspect of your life ask yourself, what do I need to stop doing? What practices are not serving me, or are doing me harm? What do I need to get rid of from my environment, my mind, my friendships, and my responsibilities? What do I need to cancel, reschedule, say no to, delegate?
I have completely stopped watching Netflix. Remember I shared in an earlier blog that I would get addicted to series and spend hours on end watching them? I don’t even have a desire for it anymore.
This week too, I stopped adding anything else to my calendar. I removed some things and rescheduled others, to give myself room to see the big picture, stay on track with my goals and move closer to realizing my vision.
In January this year, I had a retreat with my very small team to plan for my business for the year ahead. We validated the vision and mission, set goals and targets, and decided on some action steps that needed to be taken in order to reach the targets and achieve our goals. That plan gave me clarity and focus, but after a while, I stopped referring to it. After a while, I started to get disorganized, overwhelmed and discouraged. It was time for a reset.
At the end of June (yes, we are already halfway through 2022) we took time to reset by having another retreat to review our goals and targets based on the vision and mission, assess where we are in achieving our targets, and what we could learn from the past 6 months. Based on those lessons, we then agreed on the next steps to either stay or get back on track. I could clear away all the clutter in my calendar and life that was not related to achieving my specific goals and targets, and focus only on actions that align with my vision. Once more, I had clarity and focus.
Believe me, that reset gave me the motivation to take the newly agreed action steps. When, for example, I saw how much revenue had been earned to date against the projected revenue for the year, I was encouraged given that I had not done even half of what we had agreed to do in January. I knew that if I did, I would be well on my way to achieving my revenue goals for the year.
I have done the same with my personal goals.
When I decided to change my eating habits as a lifestyle change in order to arrest some health issues, the first thing I was guided to do was to detox my body. I did that by eliminating sugar, meat, processed starch, refined oils, etc. for fourteen days. Then, with my body now reset, it was easy for me to maintain the diet I felt was best for me at that stage of my life - mainly plant-based whole foods and proteins. And bonus…my husband has started eating in a similar way reminding me of course, of his mantra - “everything in moderation”.
Try it. Ask yourself those questions above and detox your body, mind, and spirit.
3) Finally, I use routines and systems.
To make room for quiet time and reflection I have had to wake up at 4:30 a.m. when the house is quiet and there are no interruptions. My routine, therefore, is to have my quiet time and devotions first thing every morning. The system I use to help me stay on track is a 15-minute guided meditation on scripture that I subscribe to and receive daily via email. I also arm myself with my journal, a pen, and ebooks on my computer on kindle.
The other system I use for consistent bible study time is being a member of a bible study group - Community Bible Study (CBS) which affords me the opportunity to study one book of the bible at a time with structured readings and questions for each day. At the end of the week, we meet in my small group to discuss the insights from our week of individual study.
The next ritual I have is to get dressed in my exercise clothes even before doing my devotions, so that right after devotions I work out for at least twenty minutes. After all, I sit at my desk behind a computer for most of the day. I have to find ways to move my body.
The system I use is YouTube videos - Walk At Home exercise routines by Leslie Sansone. I also have Walk at Home exercises on DVD. So I just turn on the television, select the exercise I want to do that morning, and go! I have my weights, stretch bands, and exercise mat in place right on the television stand, so I don’t have to take time to find them. Sometimes I even place my sneakers in front of the television the night before.
We need rhythm. We are creatures of habit. Remember the ebb and flow of the ocean. The tick toc of the clock. If you want to drop habits, and introduce new habits or lifestyle changes, the more you can include in a routine, supported by practical, easy-to-implement systems, the greater the chance of sustaining those changes.
Your weekend reset tip:
For this week, your reset tip is to give yourself a retreat (at least 3 hours of private, uninterrupted time) to reflect on why you are doing what you do, decide how you will detox and declutter your body, mind, and spirit, and establish some routines and systems, goals and action steps to RESET your life and achieve your vision.
If you have a vision but you are stuck at forming measurable goals and action steps, or feel like you’re off track, reach out to me for a FREE coaching session HERE, and to explore how I can support you further.