Short 1 - Why I Don't Wait for 2021
A year ago, December 2019, I was full of excitement – I waited for 2020 to begin.
20 20
This number 2020 - I had this unique feeling that nothing can go wrong; did you share the same feeling?
And then 2020 happened; so much messiness and uncertainty and still, can I admit that 2020 was a joyful year for me? How come?
The main reason – I stopped waiting. Each time there was an obstacle in my life - I waited, I waited for nothing. Obstacles stay, the question is do you stand and wait for them to move, or do you move.
This time I took advantage of the new reality aka family at home.
I had no hard stops, no need to pick up kids or run errands; I can do what I want and I learn how to approach my skills in a new way. I learned how to deliver virtual events in an entertaining way (thank you YouTube); I started speaking as a guest at podcasts (I love love love it), I get to network with podcast hosts worldwide.
You see, In this paradox of being in somewhat of a lockdown, I feel freer than ever.
Short 2 - Why You Shouldn’t Wait for 2021?
Why wait?
Why not now?
What is the difference between today and January 1st?
What if there was never a new year to wait for? What would be possible then?
Check my new article about why I believe procrastination is not as bad as we think. Procrastination - Why I Believe There Is Wisdom In Our Resistance And How Can We Start Listening To It?
Short 3 - Energy Bank
This month's theme is... drum rolls... Energy.
Many of the people I coach have back to back meetings. The never-ending story. The vicious cycle of people being at home and creating more work for each other.
Here is what to do when you feel that your energy is low:
1. Step one – write down all your energy drainers and all your energy boosters:
Energy Drainers: Here you write everything that takes from your energy: people, actions, situations. For example, every time they ask for a five-minute chat, a peer drags you to a 30-45 minutes call while they complain and complain. Maybe energy drainer is when you don't have time to eat lunch or have video meetings all day long or work every day after dinner.
Energy Boosters: Here you write all the things that boost your energy: people, actions, activates. For example:
Walk outdoors for 20 minutes
Have phone calls instead of video calls (can you walk while you have those calls)?
Eating lunch with your child once a week
Listening to a podcast/audiobook
Coach one of your team members
Learning something new or read a book for 30 minutes
Coffee
Meditation
Work in the garden
Meet a friend once a week?
2. Step two – include energy boosters in your weekly and monthly plan. How?
Ask yourself how many of the energy boosters you would like to fit into your week. No judgment; One? Two? More?
Reality-Check - Open your calendar and see how many of the boosters you CAN fit into your calendar.
Add the boosters
Protect your boosters
Repeat every week, month, and year.
Short 4 - Burnout
In my book, I talk about the Being and Doing Energies. The Doing energy is the energy of the actions. The Being energy is the energy of our mindset (thoughts, fears, aspirations, beliefs, perspectives) and emotions.
Burnout is when we experience emotional exhaustion. Most of us focus on the actions and regard the being energy. Why is that? From an early age, we learned from the adults that actions are what expected from us and what we are rewarded for ("Be a good boy and clean up your room, be a good girl and do your homework) so we focus on doing.
Burnout is when our container of emotions and thoughts is BEYOND full so we ignore what we feel and think and focus on actions or prefer to focus on actions because inside we know that touching the emotions and thoughts can be too much.
It is a journey to learn how to BE with our emotions and thoughts or to be with the emotions and thoughts of others.
During the Holiday Season when you meet with your family and friends, when it feels too much, or when you hear too many thoughts in your head - slow down and acknowledge what you feel and think, and if needed take a break and recharge.
How?
Go on a walk/run
Sit outside
Work in the garden
Listen to this 60 minutes podcast about burnout with Brene Brown while cooking
But I am the host I can’t leave them…
So take 15 - find a quiet room like the laundry room, the garage, your bathroom, your closet, and take five to twenty minutes to breathe, meditate, read a book/poems, journaling or listening to a podcast or TED talk that can inspire you.
If you have kids take them outside and play with them.
Check out the following two podcasts around burnout
1. Nothing Left to Give - A full podcast around burnout - Click here to check the podcast
2. Brené with Emily and Amelia Nagoski on Burnout and How to Complete the Stress Cycle - Click here to listen to the podcast episode
Short 5 - Gratitude
Once a month I meet with my coach. In coaching it is the coachee's responsibility to bring the topic for the conversation –– to indicate what they want to work on. This month I was not sure about my topic. But what did show up is gratitude. Gratitude to many of my clients who show up week after week –– some for six months, some for a year. They show up with a topic, e-v-r-e-y-t-i-m-e. And even if they don't have a topic, they trust that in the coaching conversation they will always learn something new about themselves or their challenges. I am inspired by their want to grow and become their better selves - not just for themselves but also for the impact they create in building relationships with others.