Today I made a remark to a co-worker, “My goal is to get through this pandemic without needing rehab, gaining 20 pounds, or getting split from my fiancé.”
I paused. I laughed. I paused, again.
Wow, how the bar has been lowered.
I’m a driver, achiever and believer in the greatness in each of us. I strive to live in the becoming of my best self every day. And yet there it was: my low expectations for this unknown duration of Covid-19.
Not that any of these things are bad on their face. Also, these are very real thoughts in my head. Survival thoughts because we are in survival mode as a species. How can we beat this virus in a race for the stronger, smarter species? Humans vs. Covid-19. That’s as survival as it gets.
This is new, challenging and scary. It’s facing an unknown, unseeable, unpredictable enemy as a collective society that isn’t operating from a common source of information on how to move forward safely. It’s downright terrifying and having self-compassion is critical right now.
Having said that, what I know for sure is that I don’t want to come out of this pandemic feeling like I “lost” this time. I want to still be progressing forward while providing myself compassion and grace.
So I figured out a simple way to stay focused, and I’m eager to share the method with you! Here are three ideas for driving your life forward through this time of uncertainty:
1. Ask yourself what is calling you. This may seem hokey or contrived or impractical, but really, you may have more time and space for introspection at your disposal right now. This is perfect for listening to your inner voice. It could be pulling you toward something new and different. Something you’ve been ignoring, avoiding, or shoving away due to the usual pressures and expectations of daily life. With daily life upended, what needs doing, fixing, being, becoming?
2. Set progressing goals:
• Write down your top three goals for the week. Write down why each goal matters to you.
• Each morning write down one way you’ll work toward each goal that day. For example, if your weekly goals are to lose one pound, have your garden planted, and create more intimacy with your partner, your daily goals might be to take the dog on a three-mile walk, prepare the garden bed, and give your partner a massage.
• Look at your schedule and plug in when you’ll take the three actions throughout your day.
• Do the things.
Set aside 15 minutes to journal at the end of your day:
• What experiences of my day created the most value for me?
• What experiences of my day created the least value for me?
• What do I want to do differently tomorrow?
• What am I grateful for?
Try this for a week and let me know what you discover by sending an email to [email protected]. I’ll be eager to see what “ah-has” you have!
Stay safe, stay positive, and know that today is a blessing.
