It is about loving every single day! I look back on my life and realize that even though I did some fun things in my life when I was younger, I spent most of my time in the what I call the “Doing Zone.” I was success driven just like my father and spent a lot of my waking hours and time, trying to exceed expectations at work.
It is about loving every single day! I look back on my life and realize that even though I did some fun things in my life when I was younger, I spent most of my time in the what I call the “Doing Zone.” I was success driven just like my father and spent a lot of my waking hours and time, trying to exceed expectations at work. I loved my job and my company, so I didn’t see it as work. The problem was I was so tied into my career and that image, that my personal life came secondary. It wasn’t until I was fifty and laid off that I began to understand that I had just allowed the first half of my life pass me by at a rapid pace. I wasn’t really engaged in creating or living a life I loved.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved what I did workwise, but I wasn’t taking care of myself, and I wasn’t doing much outside of work that filled me up. Many of my friends and clients create what they call their bucket list that they plan to tackle when they retire. Most people put the big things on those lists that you may not have time for today. Then you do them and are done…it does not sustain you for the long haul. But what if you prioritized doing the little things you love, that fill you up every single day, starting today? We tend to allow our jobs to take priority over our happiness and fulfillment. I have learned you can have both, but it takes a commitment to change how you do things so you can do your job and your happiness-boosting hobbies at the same time without burning the candle on both ends. The first recommendation is to leave work at work. Do your best to work a 40-hour workweek and then leave it there. The second step is to make a list of all the things you love to do. When you do them, you feel joy inside. You get lost in time and space, focusing on doing things that make you happy. Then pick your top 3 to 5 activities and build them into your life and your schedule.
When you are spending time doing things you love, you will be happier and more fulfilled. And when you feel that way (instead of drained), you will be more productive at work and more peaceful at home.
The trick here is creating balance in all the essential aspects of your life. I call it the 5 Spheres of Life and includes your career, your relationships, your spirituality, your health and wellness and what I call your happiness-boosting hobbies. When you balance them all, you will be happier and healthier. That said, it’s often hard to find time for one more thing. Just like a New Year’s Resolution, you start out trying to make it work and stay on top of it, but it’s gets lost in the craziness of life. The secret is to figure out what you can do where you can flow with it and not feel like you are cramming one more thing into your life. If it is something you love to do, it will be easy to make the time as do it as planned. Maybe it is just one thing. I know that if I do that one thing a day, it makes a real difference in my happiness and wellbeing.
For instance, one of my favorite things to do is walk to the beach with my dog Mack and sit on the beach watching the birds, the waves, the boats, etc. I might have a lucky day and find a beautiful seashell or beach glass, and that makes it even better. The great thing about that is I am accomplishing much more than doing what I love. I am automatically building in grounding on with the earth time, which is hugely uplifting and healing. And I am getting exercise!
Take stock of your life and figure out what is serving you and what isn’t? What fills you up and makes you happy, and what doesn’t? Quit doing the things that don’t fill you up. For example, housekeeping is one more thing, and it can be draining to some people. I dislike cleaning bathrooms and cleaning our hardwood floors, so I hire someone for that. I can do the rest without feeling drained or overwhelmed. The more you embrace and do the things you love…you will be in better energy. You won’t feel stuck as you are going to release, let go of or stop doing the things that don’t work for you.
Self-care and self-nurturing are part of the equation, and that improves by increasing the amount of time you spend doing things you love. Also, try to schedule in massages, exercise, yoga, or Qigong/Tai Chi…all of these are great pick me ups!
You only live once! Enjoy each day you have on this earth!
