Bored? Good. Use it as fuel.
MichaelSunnarborg / November 17, 2022 Article, Image, Link / Leave a Comment
With the “return to routine” going much slower than anticipated, the existence of frequent and substantive lulls is becoming more and more commonplace in our daily lives.
In other words, things have slowed down. A lot. And it’s no surprise. We’re just emerging out of a two-and-a-half-year pandemic. Cripes!
But the best part is that there were many gifts hidden within the rifts of COVID-19. The biggest gift is time.
Just like getting a fat tax refund or an unexpected windfall, our planet just got a whole heckofalotof time back. The ending of jobs, routines, products, supply chains, and businesses in our society has created a gigantic gap—and indications are that many of those gaps will not be closing anytime soon.
And even when our past activities and routines have started creeping back, many of them suddenly feel old and out of place. Then the questions come:
- “Did I really spend that much money on lunches each week?”
- “Were those really the people I thought were so important in my life but haven’t heard from in over two years?”
- “Was I really ignoring my sense of direction for so long without noticing how far I’d drifted away from myself?”
And when the questions come, the intentions for the answers are born. The creative process begins and unfolds one step at a time. Now, we can use COVID’s gift of time to remember, revisit, and reconsider before we restore.
Stuck? Here are some topics to consider during your contemplative time:
Reprioritize. COVID-19 wiped out nearly every routine, schedule, and habitual busyness like someone shaking an Etch-a-Sketch®. Thank goodness. We were moving at an unsustainable pace! Stop and think before you start drawing your new masterpiece. What’s changed? What matters? Who is important to you now?
Friends & Family. Remember all of the time you spent with family and your circle of trusted friends during lockdown? Yeah, they’re probably still around, so keep investing in those relationships. I mean, sheesh, those people were there for you during a global pandemic. Talk about a “trusted circle!” If they were worth it then, they’re definitely worth it now.
Embrace Ambiguity. Uncertainty is the new normal, so we might as well embrace it. Use this time of fuzziness to find increased clarity. Dream big. Aim for what you really want. You’ve got time to dream out loud. “When nothing is certain, anything is possible.” – Mandy Hale
Find a new activity. We’ve all had enough streaming TV to last a lifetime. Instead of deepening the dent in your couch, let your curiosity lead you out of the house into old familiar (or new!) activities. Go bowling? Shoot pool? Play pinball? Hit an art exhibit? See a show? Think about what lights you up and recharges your batteries. “Stuff” is expensive, but experiences are priceless.
Rest up. Growing up, I always wondered why my Dad took so many naps. Now I know why—he’s smart. Naps are needed. Naps are nice. Feeling stuck? Sneak in a snoozer. Napping is like rebooting your phone or computer—we always operate better after we’ve been refreshed.
Need some help finding your clarity and reprioritizing? Download a FREE copy of my favorite clarity tool, the Personal Priority Grid™ (PPG), and start sifting and sorting through your choices today.
One day at a time,
Michael Thomas Sunnarborg
Image: Pexels.com