Happy Monday, or whatever Monday you choose.
Last week was a struggle. I was both on top of the world and also a victim of success. I was expending much energy on the job, with the family, to my friends, and obligations. I realized about mid-week that I was falling into old patterns of go go go. Once I realized that I remembered that I needed to breathe. If I did not get back in balance, I would be back on the treadmill of futility. I drew some inspiration from the cosmos. I noticed two bright objects and assumed they were Jupiter and Venus. When I researched it with an app, I realized that all the planets were in a straight line. It was very inspiring to me because it reminded me that sometimes we only scratch the surface and do not realize that our hard work is paying off and affording opportunities. Sometimes we do not understand that everything we need is right at our fingertips because we have tunnel vision about the outcome. Thus inspired, I had a very productive weekend and set myself up for a successful week. There were some sacrifices, but I did not have to sacrifice myself.
But, and there is always a but – if everything is fantastic, why am I still buried? We relaunched our projects and also added new ones with new KPIs. I realized that I have thrown myself into everything headlong and have been working on adrenaline and the high of finally seeing things coming together. If we look at the road trip analogy from last week, I floored it and didn’t consult a map. Although, I am enjoying the scenery, now is a good time to pause and reflect if I am on the right path. What are your goals? A friend of mine blogged about the decisions we make about time and the impact. You can read the full blog here, https://thefloridafairy.com/f/small-choices-of-time. I realized that I was not making the best choices of my time and had to redirect myself to stay on track to achieve my goals. Being sidetracked is not failing. What are you learning from the distractions in your life?
One of the things that bothered me last week was that I was not spending as much time with my friends and I would like. That is also part of the evaluation, and we have to remember to schedule time for family and friends. The good news is that I have many lunch dates this week to do just that. I am going to take advantage of Parkinson’s law to get even more quality time with my kids. Do you have a friend with whom you have not spoken to for some time? Call them up or send an old fashioned letter. Connecting with your friends and family also helps to balance selfishness. When you are becoming successful, you can fall into the trap of leaving the people who matter behind. Connecting with others reminds us that there are things larger than ourselves. We are a speck circling a dwarf star in one of the billions of galaxies. Perspective is paramount in planning.
What’s next? For me, I hope this will be a week of rebirth. Why hope? I still have to do the work. Intention without action is merely a dream. Like my mom says, “If wishes were horses then beggars would ride.” My happiest moments last week was spent in service of others. I did remember to spend time in service of myself as well. Like they tell you on airplanes, if there is an emergency, put on your oxygen mask first and then help others. This week I plan on breathing deeply. If your life is asphyxiating you, I encourage you to grab the oxygen mask and breathe deeply. Everything you need to be successful is at your fingertips. Refer to the map, get your bearings and get back on the path.
