I’ve been doing videos on my Facebook page about issues related to Corona-pocalypse and the challenges we face at this time.
One of the videos from this week was around the things we thought we’d do if we had time…but aren’t!
Are you in that position? Did you think that if you had time, you’d write a book, sort out all your clutter, repaint the cupboards, do 4 hours of meditation/yoga/cross training every day?
One of the things I noticed from the responses to this video was the big list of stuff we all want to do (me included).
Hilariously, even people who are working have these big lists (even though they don’t have much extra free time).
Er, me included.
If you had a very busy life before, the temptation is to keep being busy.
But what if you could embrace a different way of living instead?
What if you could take this opportunity to slow down?
In whatever way works for you – I have friends who would go crazy if they just sat watching TV or reading a book.
So slowing down might not mean lazing on the couch for days for you.
It might just mean pausing between tasks, or taking your time while stripping the house from top to bottom.
It might mean picking one single thing from the shopping list of ‘things I’ll do when I get the time’ and focusing on that one thing.
It might mean really thinking about why you want to do all those things.
It might mean thinking about whether you want to do all those things.
Some of them will definitely fall under the heading ‘should’. If so, scrap them.
Some of them will fall under the heading ‘have wanted to for years…but haven’t’. If so, check if this is a real, authentic desire now.
Some of them will fall under the heading ‘sounds like a plan’. Again, is this a real, authentic desire now? Is it something you really want now?
Because the things you really want to do will be easy, once you trim the fat!
If you have a shopping list of things you’re half-assed about, the whole list will be tainted.
But if you strip it down, if you examine each one for the level of desire, you’ll find your enthusiasm rising.
In Mark Silverman’s book “Only 10’s”, he recommends doing only those things that are a 10/10 desire level.
You’d think that chores and obligations might be low on the list, but actually they’re not.
Feeding your family? 10/10.
Making sure your loved ones are healthy and happy? 10/10.
So where do the things on your list fit in? They don’t have to be 10’s, but why not choose the one thing that you most desire to do?
Ok, mentally and emotionally this might not be the time to write that book you’ve always wanted to write.
But it might be the perfect time to implement the meditation practice you’ve talked about for the past 10 years.
So if you have a shopping list of things you want to do ‘while you have time’ (IF you actually do have some extra time), I recommend you find the ONE thing you really want to do and give your full attention to that to begin with.
You can add in more if you wish, but start with one thing.
Giving yourself a shopping list of stuff you should be doing is a sure fire way to make sure you end this whole Time of Turbulence with a reason to beat yourself up.
Don’t do that to yourself.
Pick one thing.
Do that.
See what happens.
Have fun with it, whatever it is.
And if you need help getting in touch with what is (and isn’t) an authentic desire now, or with getting moving on that one thing, get in touch.
We’ll coach for an hour, we’ll find what you really want, we’ll get you started. No fee, no obligation, no stress.
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