Plodding Into the New Year
It’s now the middle of January and I, until today, had been feeling like I’m trying to wake up from a long nap. New year, new me? Blech. I had a wonderful time with friends and family over the holidays but that time was busier than I wanted it to be and the truth is, I still feel tired. My mounting task list is uninspiring and I feel a nagging worry about some of the same things I worried about last year.
I had been feeling a slight resentment toward the artificial pressures that the new year brings. Didn’t I read somewhere that how you spend your time on January 1st typically reveals how you’ll spend the year ahead? I can’t really remember what I did on that day but I think it involved holey pajamas and binge watching television. Great.
The other day a dear friend earnestly asked me what my resolutions were for the year, and I lamely rattled off some vague career goals. I realized that I had only briefly thought about it. In that moment I felt ashamed of myself. I’m in the healing and coaching business. Shouldn’t I be more inspired and focused?
The professionals in the “getting sh*t done" world would say it doesn’t matter what day it is; you just get up and do the "work" anyway. You do the work despite the rewards or the failures, whether you're inspired, disillusioned or somewhere in between. You just keep going. I get it. The most powerful resolution I am making today (and every day) is to just keep going - even if I’m plodding as I go.
But today I realized that a tiny flame is lit inside me, sparked by the book I’m listening to, Wild by Cheryl Strayed. All the sudden, I’ve got plans slowly forming in my mind and a growing excitement about just living! Yeah sure, I’m old enough to believe the adage, “When you make plans, God laughs.” But still! It feels good to connect to inspiration again.
So, here’s my loose plan for this year that I promise to form more concretely.
- Keep reading inspiring stories. If you have suggestions, pass ‘em on!
- Take on something physically challenging.
- Travel internationally. Always be working on an art project.
- Faithfully continue doing the work I love, growing my reach and my effectiveness.
So, if you find yourself today in an uninspired place, with resolutions unformed or already abandoned, keep going. Plod along until you find your inspiration again. When you have it, seize it and put it into action. And..when that inevitable day comes when you’re disappointed, depressed, unfocused or waylaid by life, keep going! Be open to that moment when inspiration drifts back in. It always does.