Well, I’m coming to you a little late this time around, but I’m sure you were all busy with family, cooking, playing games, whatever…at least that’s what I hope you were able to do.
I stayed home and played it safe, and I have a lot of friends who had to quarantine because they either had Covid or were exposed to someone who did.
Not being subject to the normal bustle of the holidays gives me time to reflect on my year and really think about what I want my next year to be like.
Breathe…………
Have you ever listened to a guided meditation or relaxation recording? They’ll instruct you to take a deep breath and hold it before exhaling.
That’s where we are. About to take a deep breath. To breathe in all of the things that will inspire the year to come.
The word inspire comes from the latin root word meaning to breathe.
We’ve focused a lot on the air around us over the past two years, and whether it’s safe to breathe it. We’ve been at home, breathing in the same air. We’ve been more limited in many ways, breathing in recycled ideas and influences as well, without novelty to inspire fresh ways of thinking and new approaches. In some ways, we’ve been metaphorically holding our breath, waiting for the world to return to “normal.”
Considering that “normal” still seems a ways off, we’re going to have to stop holding our breath and start bringing in oxygen to keep our spirits alive.
Doesn’t this picture make you want to take a deep breath?
Consider the following questions:
Do you lack inspiration?
Where are you stuck in a rut?
Where in your life can you try something new?
What areas of your life could benefit from new perspectives?
Perspective can have a huge impact.
Here are mine:
Physical surroundings: I don’t get out a lot. New physical surroundings would benefit me greatly, as might organizing or upgrading a few things about my home space.
Socializing: I talk to a lot of people each week, but very few people in person. Making a little more time to interact in person with people once in a while would help greatly.
Reading: I read a lot of books (well, listen to them). But this year, my genres got a little stagnant. While I like horror and mysteries, and I enjoy learning from self-development books, lately I’ve been a little bored and uninspired with what I’ve been reading. For next year, I want to read a book on finance, a couple of classic novels that I keep putting off for “someday,” and perhaps even throw a little poetry into the mix.
Hobbies: When not working, I mostly just watch TV or go on long walks and listen to podcasts/audiobooks. But pre-pandemic, I used to have other things I liked to do…karaoke, bowling, mini golf, thrift shopping. There are also creative crafts I have enjoyed in the past. I want to work some new things into my life. Even if I can’t do some of these other things, I could play badminton, tennis, hike, etc.
Exercise: Physically, I definitely need inspiration! Sitting too much in the past two years caused me to gain 20 lbs…I lost about ten of it this past year, but still have ten more to get back to where I was. I’m also in physical therapy for an inflamed rotator cuff, so my first priority is to get that taken care of so I can do the other activities that I love and want to do. Like get back to swimming and yoga.
My business: I continue to struggle with putting certain systems in place, and there are areas that I have been coasting. I know I could stand to level up my skills in editing, in certain genres I’d like to pursue, and in negotiation, and to keep working toward regular systems for marketing and accounting.
My accounting: Speaking of accounting, I have been keeping track of my tax deductions in a spreadsheet for over a decade. One of the first things I’m doing in 2022 is taking a free Quickbooks class through the Actors’ Fund to learn how to do my own accounting in (hopefully), a much more efficient and accurate way.
Moments: Creating special moments for family and friends is something that tends to give me energy, and that has been hard to accomplish with the world’s current limitations. I’d like to think creatively and create more moments for myself and others to remember fondly.
Looking back over the past year, I’m having trouble remembering what things inspired me. So, in the coming year I’d like to focus on noticing what things give me energy and momentum.
So, before we begin 2022, consider how you can breathe in fresher air to inspire your actions in the coming year.
Because none of us need a repeat of the last two…