July 1st. It’s a new month, a new Monday and my first day on a new project. I saw this quote a few weeks ago but wasn’t inspired to scribble it in my planner until this morning. Coming off of an exhausting weekend, I felt I needed the reminder to be judicious with my energy. It also happens to be my birthday month, so I tend to get super reflective around this time of year (as well as the New Year). Am I satisfied? Am I doing the things I want to do? Am I where I want to be in life? What gives me energy? What doesn’t? Who is worth the energy? Who isn’t? These are the questions I contemplate.
I set some ambitious personal goals this year and while I’ve accomplished some, there are others I haven’t made as much headway on. So, it’s time to pause and regroup — and those big questions I mentioned before are what I’m using to get myself back on track. Past experience has taught me that if I’m asking these questions in the first place there’s a strong likelihood that I need to make some adjustments. With that being said, my first adjustment is to guard my time. Don’t allow the 9-to-5 to swallow up more than it’s allotted time. If office work comes up after those hours, it can wait. And once I get home, keep the TV off. TV entertainment is a great escape but it eats away time I could be spending on my personal projects.
Second adjustment — table the high maintenance and lackadaisical friendships. Whether it’s personal or professional, keep them at bay. My energy is better served investing in myself and my endeavors than indulging the whims, insecurities or frustrations of needy people. I also needn’t expend energy on friendships that need heavy lifting. My strength and attention are needed elsewhere.
Third adjustment — have tunnel vision. Do something every day that’s relevant to my goal. Also, keep my to-do list to a minimum so I’m not tempted or distracted to tackle something other than the primary goal. A singular focus will get me further to where I want to be.
Hopefully these changes do the trick (wish me luck!). If not, it’s back to the proverbial drawing board to try again.