As we get ready to wrap up 2020 and very eagerly look ahead to 2021, I want to send a short update.
Letting Go of Should
Part of the idea of simple Sundays is leaving the “to do” and the “you shoulds” and just let what happens happen. I’ve been trying to embrace that and I gotta admit, it ain’t easy. The pandemic has created a lot of “you can’ts” and, in trying to be positive, I find myself saying “you should” a lot more. I should be writing more, should be researching ideas more, reaching out to friends, exercising more, drinking less, and on and on.
As you know, that isn’t helpful self-talk. Even worse, it spills out to others. I start telling my kids or my spouse what they should do, which I’m sure they love.
When I hear “I should do xxx,” it gets translated to “you’re not doing yyy.” It’s a negative. I need to change the internal dialog into something positive. So, when I hear myself say “I should do xxx” I’m going to ask myself, “what is the benefit you are hoping to get from that?” I think this will lead to more positive, results-oriented thinking.
Committed to Showing Up
As some of you may remember, I have written about microblogging, blogging, and narrative therapy. I believe in this, but writing regularly is hard. However, I think of writing as similar to working out and exercising muscles. When you stop doing a regular workout, things atrophy. When I’m not writing regularly, ideas dwindle, I’m less aware, and my brain goes on autopilot. Even doing an Instagram post feels like a chore!
For me, half the battle of exercise is showing up. Some days I show up with a lot of energy and determination. Other days, not so much. But if I keep showing up, I know I’ll get stronger.
That’s how I’m going to approach my writing in 2021. Keep showing up.
I will continue publishing an occasional Simple Sundays email. I have ideas I want to explore and I enjoy writing about them. I definitely appreciate all the readers willing to travel along this road with me.
I’m also starting an email focused more on my professional life as an IT project manager and getting technology projects done. This is Live Life Integrated, after all! It is called the People and Projects Advocate and if you’re interested, you can sign up for it here. The email will kickoff in January and start with a 3-part series on People, Technology, and Results (the tag line of the company I work for).
Thinking Ahead
I enjoy thinking about what the future holds. There are many impacts of this pandemic that will be felt over the next decade. Clearly, the way we work will change, but that’s only one of the ways 2020 will influence our future. Getting in the mindset of anticipating change, being adaptive, and building resilience can help us thrive. There’s a lot to explore here and I’m excited to see where it goes.
Simple Sundays are a time to let go of the bad, acknowledge the good, and anticipate the better. Here’s to an awesome Monday!
Brian
A link you might find helpful
https://drsoph.com/blog/2018/8/27/should-the-one-word-you-need-to-stop-sayingnow