Getting Clear

If you really sit with these questions, you’re mining deeply into yourself to discover a rich vein of information about what you really need as you think about moving into this new phase of life.

I think it’s useful to get really clear and honest with ourselves always, and especially when we’re in the midst of any transition. In my last post, I talked about being honest with ourselves about how we’re really feeling and what emotions we’re carrying. We can learn a lot about ourselves in moments of transition, in liminal space.

I think it’s really useful to do something of a self-inventory right now. You know I believe in writing as a reflective process, a process that helps us tune in and connect to ourselves in a deep and useful way. So I’m sharing some reflective prompts, for you to think about or write about, to help you tune into yourself and make this transition more conscious and intentional.

·      What worked really well for you over the past year?

·      What from this past year do you want to carry forward with you?

·      What didn’t work as well for you over the past year?

·      What do you want to leave behind?

·      What do you miss from pre-pandemic life?

·      Conversely, what do you not miss?

·      When you think about resuming things in your life, what fills you with a sense of joy or ease?

·      Conversely, what fills you with a sense of dread or overwhelm?

·      What do you want to invite back in?

·      What do you want to leave out, as you move forward?

 If you really sit with these questions, you’re mining deeply into yourself to discover a rich vein of information about what you really need as you think about moving into this new phase of life. Just because something was once a part of your life doesn’t mean it still needs to be. You get to get clear about what you want and need, and then you also get to choose to honor those needs and enact ways to meet them. (Every time we do this, we build essential self-trust, by the way.)

Now I know not everything is up to us. There are choices we will be required to make. We may want to leave commuting behind, but if our jobs resume to being on-site rather than at-home, we may not be able to make that choice for ourselves. But while there are assuredly things we can’t be deliberate about, there are also assuredly things we can deliberately choose to bring in or leave out. Those are the things we can focus on now.

And, all the information is useful even if it points to changes we can’t make right now. Look at the commuting example. If you’ve realized over the past year that life without a long commute to work each day was a solace, even if that’s not a shift you can make right now, knowing that information about yourself can guide you toward making a different choice in the future, and building toward having a life where you’re able to work from home and don’t have to commute. It’s all valuable information to have about ourselves, whether we can immediately act on all the information or not.