Back in the groove

The internet is full of perfect advice about how to get back to work after the holidays so why is mine different? My answer is that this is not perfect advice, or designed to work for everyone, this is what I am doing this week to ensure I get back to my performance best as I return from two weeks off. If it helps, great..

For context, this means including my set up of having three daughters at school, an amazing wife who is considering looking for a job after our return to the UK, a commute that varies between 30 and 60 minutes, a natural tendency to mornings and a behavioural preference for task completion PLUS an occasional lapse in good mental health which can lead me to rumination and worry. Here's how I am getting at 2019..

1. Appreciate the break - I had a really lovely two week break with my family. After a roller coaster of a year in 2018, which saw the Walker family make their 5th country move in 11 years, new job, new house and new schools, it was great to have days playing board games, walking the dog and seeing family - with very few deadlines. Nothing special happened, but that contains beauty too. My screen time plummeted and my steps soared. Loved it.
2. Get some routine back - Monday saw the alarm set for 6am and the day began for me with some light exercise and a shower. I am planning better focus on exercise but it didn't start today - I listened to the radio, chatted to my two younger girls, who were dealing with their own first day back, and checked to see my trousers fitted after numerous lunches, drinks and chocolates (they did, just). The routine going forward will include more discipline with some early time out to reflect and getting back to cold showers, but not day one.
3. Commit to time for myself - On my to do list, at point 4, is 'set Jan-Feb agenda'. This means, blocking time for me to set goals and reflect on how the new year is going. They will be at least 3 hours each and I will make time for them before the calendar soup kicks in. This may seem like a guilty pleasure so soon after a break but this is no break, it's work on myself to help those around me. It will include a few learning goals I have set for myself this year as well as meeting new people.
4. Take the best bits of the holiday and repeat - I loved the time I had to run a bit more than I had been doing in 2018. I am going to keep that higher in my priority list. I'm no runner, but I like it, so I signed up for a competitive run in a couple of months just to keep my task-driven nature sated. I also loved the books I received for Christmas, reading is my pleasure and so, two books into 2019, and I will ensure that habit continues..finally, I received a record player as a gift and rediscovering some vinyl has been a joy - it's going to get some of my time through the year - so far an eclectic mix of Joy Division, Lenny Kravitz, Simon & Garfunkel and Prince....hence the title & image.
5. Plan ahead - I need things to look forward to. I have a holiday booked with friends at Easter, but that feels far away, so I also have tickers to Macbeth to see with my eldest daughter next week - I am looking forward to it as a kind of reward/milestone. At the same time, I did take time to review the plans I have in my role and look ahead at what needs to be done this week to make the goals possible..that is work in progress.

I finish my first day back feeling a bit more in control, motivated to achieve what I can with my team and also grateful for my family time - it's that balance I am aiming for now I am back in the groove.

Thanks for reading