April is here and while it does not YET feel like spring in the Midwest, it is certainly on the way. While there are a lot of well-known epitaphs about this time of year (spring ahead; April showers bring May flowers; etc.) the
one that sticks with me and is the one that guides my thinking and my mindfulness practice is: This is your time to bloom and blossom.
I look at this season as an opportunity to shake off the dark skies and feelings that often come from long winters. In April, we have chance to see if the things we planted last year will flower and bear fruit and to consider the next batch of seeds we will plant. There is so much opportunity for growth--if you
are ready to embrace it.
If this sounds challenging to you, I would like to share Five Focus Points that can help you realign and prepare to blossom.
- Rediscover the joy – Think about what drew you to your career in the first place. When you were in the honeymoon phase of your career, there was joy and excitement. What was that ‘thing’ that you desired every day when you woke up and couldn’t wait to do?
- Ask yourself what has changed – Reflect on what is different now than in the past. Is it the workload, frustration level, lack of support, change in perspective, a sense of being overwhelmed, or something else?
- Take inventory – Acknowledge where you are and where you want to be. Be realistic, not idealistic.
- Don’t believe everything you think – Allow time for reflection and understanding
- Spring Into Action – After following the first four steps, it is time to take action. Action steps bring clarity. Mindfulness techniques like breathing, meditating, exercise and journaling (gratitude list) bring perspective. Clarity of thought and perspective allow for reflection and reverse burnout.
Will these five focus points change everything? Certainly not. But it is steps like these that move us away from feelings of burnout, fatigue and feeling untethered. They can be the first steps of many to moving into the next phase of mindfulness, embracing your mindfulness practice and realigning your goals.
In addition, you can join me on April 11 (leading Mindful Meditation) or April 20 (leading a Meditation on Courage), details are below.
Thank you for supporting me and my work and if you need a bit of help finding your way into bloom, reach out and set up a FREE introductory session.
