As I get older I have become more aware of how my body works and what works for it. I have the luxury, now that I no longer have full-time employment, of being able to wait out bugs that lay me low, for instance, when in the past I would have been forced to fight through it and to struggle on in work.
But it has been a slow start to the year. Somehow, having succumbed to a bug over the Christmas period I knew I just had to sit it out. It only takes a week to shake off a cold, but getting the engine running since has been a challenge. I’ve wondered where my motivation went and the mid-afternoon slump ( I’ve always been a morning person) seemed more like a tendency to hibernation than slumping.
Getting your mojo back can be a struggle sometimes. The old tricks don’t seem to work and you go searching for that something that’s going to get the blood flowing. I know such things can be cyclical but it’s still no fun to think that you are wasting precious time. Gotta get on, none of this lazing around.
Not only did I force myself to drag my backside off the sofa somehow I had to get the fog out of my head. I’ve tried to break some of my routines this year, hopefully for the good. Firstly, I’ve stopped watching the clock and beating myself up for not having done “x” by 10.00 am – whatever “x” is – or “y” by lunchtime. You get the idea. It’s just another deadline driven psycho working.
I no longer listen to the radio most of the day. The radio schedule is just another speaking clock! Stop nagging !!
I’ve forced in new disciplines. For years I’ve wanted to practice my guitar every day and it never happens. Now I’m forcing it and it’s happening – a new habit feels good.
My charity management tasks can turn into a full-time role if I allow procrastination to creep in so I now focus them, as best I can, into just one day a week. Sometimes meetings might occur on other days but at least I feel in control again.
The rub is, then, that I’m focusing on changing how I structure my day/week creating space for me to refocus on what I really want to achieve in 2017.
I’m shipping out the negative and trying new habits. If there is a positive outcome to an activity then I’m more likely to want to do it, obviously.
I’m recognising the cycle – trying to be creative everyday – not beating myself up – breaking things down – and the mojo is coming back. Thank heaven – that feels better.
singlemaltmonkey 