Embracing my inner tortoise

At the end of 2022, I was graced with the opportunity to dedicate four weeks to complete a deep dive reflection on the year and meticulously think and plan for 2023. I don’t want sugarcoat it. Even over four weeks armed with a workbook and support group, the process was intense. And combined with the general year-end mental fatigue, I didn’t feel like I was going into the new year with a full battery.

I had a plan but was lacking the motivation to start.???

The first week of January, I used PTO to engage in my traditional birthday activities - long solo bike ride, time with my family for the first half of the week and then I went back to work. It was an easier transition due to the attention I needed to dedicate to our annual performance process but at the end of every day, I had this creeping anxiety that I already wasn’t doing enough. I shared with my manager that I felt like a lot of people were getting on a hamster wheel and I was having a visceral reaction to following suit.

I wanted time to be creative, thoughtful that would lead to my desired (if not better) outcomes.?

By the second week, I watched a video from one of my favorite workplace social media creators who shared some simplistic but necessary advice. In summary, she advised that it was only January and no one should feel or put pressure on themselves to try to accomplish everything on their goals list in this month. She suggested just focusing on the most important things to accomplish each day and acknowledge your progress. I know what you're thinking, we’ve all heard this before and even I balked for a moment because I’ve practiced this wisdom before and was practicing it "in theory."

After my initial cynicism resided, I sat with that advice and realized this was truly the advice I needed. If there was one thing I learned from the nutritionist I worked with last year, it was that your planning was paramount to actually achieving your goals. As a result, I adjusted my outlook for January:

I took a look at my annual goals and then thought about what it would take for me to accomplish them. ?

Be on top of my health? I needed to allocate time to find new doctors and set up those appointments.

Have a less frenetic cooking experience for dinner? Spend less time buying groceries? I needed more space to accommodate the veggies that we often ran out of mid-week causing me to go to the grocery store and spend at least two hours every two weeks organizing grocery purchases, deliveries and pickups. Workout more consistently? I need to review my work calendar on a weekly basis and proactively sign up for classes on my app so that I’ve accounted for the time and I don’t waste it.

Be more creative and prepared for meetings? I need institute calendar blocks 1-2 days ahead of time to think and ideate before a meeting so that I’m able to fully engage in the real-time conversation.?

By designating January as my foundation month, I’ve focused less on the check marks related to my ultimate goals and instead all the behind the scenes efforts that it would take to make them a reality.

This mental shift feels strange and satisfying.

While accomplishments weren’t the goal, I have felt more accomplished because these seemingly small tasks have given me peace of mind and more time and energy (my surprise) for the things that bring me joy.

I’ve officially crossed the “cheer for my friends at the Houston Marathon” off my Houstonian bucket list. I’ve met up with people I haven’t seen in years. I’ve had long conversations with dear friends that we've been dancing around for months. I have planned meetups this year with others in the works based on my travel schedule so that I don't have to send my infamous "waving across the city" texts because I wasn't proactive. And I'm in the middle of planning a really cool event that was born from my creative work block by asking “how can we make this a better experience?”?

There are times that I’ve been tempted to speed up my pace and force myself to do more. It’s in those times that pure wisdom or truths become evident. Realizing it’d been nearly a month since I’d published a LinkedIn article, I felt compelled to produce one just so that everyone would know I was still here and thinking about them. But when I finished a draft, I felt like I’d only written it for the checkmark and external acknowledgement which is completely contrary to why I write. Maybe someday you’ll get to read it… maybe you won't. And then there was my favorite reminder to keep my slow pace that resulted in an extended trip to Barnes & Noble that was pure bliss: One can’t read 25 books if you don’t have a book list or even books to read in the first place.?

Time is one of the greatest gifts we have.

This year, my goal is to use it wisely. I thank each of you for the time you spend with me when you read these articles. I also thank you for the encouragement via messages and when I see you in real life. You are the reason I share.?

Let me know how you’re embracing the preparation for your goals this year and how I or this community can support you.