Getting back to the basics

Do you ever wonder how to get thru these days when everything is pressing down on you and you just cannot see the wood for the trees?

I had a moment like this earlier this week when I just couldn’t wrap my head around all that was going on and all I had to do. I found it easier to snuggle up in bed, pull the duvet over my head and block everything out. 

It was with reluctance that I plucked up the courage and fought the urge to let the demons beat me.

Here’s how:

Focus on your priorities

When I was faced with the heavy, arduous task of stroke recovery I didn’t realise that I naturally made a division between tasks. 

I was fixated on writing. I was concentrated on gaining movement back on my right leg. 

It became apparent to me that things such as relearning my basic math skills or my ability to cut with scissors were falling by the wayside, as I practiced day in and day out with my speech therapist and my physical therapist, for hours.

To learn a new language, to read books, to practice aromatherapy all seemed like pie-in-the-sky wonders to me. Although I desperately wanted to incorporate those little gems into my days, I just couldn’t. 

The thing is, there are only so many hours in a day. If you don't have a direction, you can easily get lost in a pile of best intentions without making a dent in moving the needle forward. 

So, come back to your core.

Close your eyes and think, where do you see yourself tomorrow? Next week? Next year?

Creating a realistic expectation for yourself, by culling down the list of to-do’s, will feel like a win. 

Think small

If you whittle even the most complex problem or situation down, you always come to the lowest common denominator. 

The thought of choosing a school for my 3 children in Switzerland, from Japan, left me paralyzed with fear. It just seemed too big. Which language should we send them to school in? Which curriculum is the best for them?

I could just picture them being scared and lonely every day. But why? 

My wild imagination got the better of me. I couldn’t focus on the problem at hand, because I wrongly assumed that I couldn’t handle it. 

When I truly put my mind to it, I decided to evaluate it, sift it down to its bare minimum. I decided to make a google sheet on all of the options. 

Did that get me closer to finding a school? Yes! It also bolstered my confidence, of course, I can do this!

So, put your cart after the horse.

Don’t let a big project or conundrum fester. Go at it like a surgeon, piece by piece, until you have broken it down to palatable portions. 

Allow yourself to adapt 

The reality is that these days are anything but easy. They can be laced with dark and creepy things. In the end, you have to allow yourself the space and time to reshape your goals or your methods. 

At each pivotal point, ask yourself these three questions:

Do you want to stop? 

If you answer yes, then commit to it. Don’t look back. There is no shame in deciding that this is what is going to work best for you.

Has your perspective changed?

If yes, find other, new ways to push yourself and grow. 

Has your end-goal changed?

Consider it. It’s ok to change the rules, to make new targets. Decide on one and then put your head down to continue slogging.

Tomorrow is a new day.

I hope I see you there, in whichever stage that you find yourself. 

---