Stop and Reflect!

Over the last couple of months, I have found it rather difficult to be organized and discipline my work routine. For someone who lives on a calendar, it has been difficult to strike a balance. I have always been an eclectic person and my passions find their way into my life without me even realizing it. One thing I have been really proud of is the fact that I have managed to give equal attention to most of my passions, and clearly in the last couple of months that has not been the case. Writing is meditation for me, I do it to escape from the noise. I can't even understand why and how, but writing is my sanity. It was really annoying for me to not be able to make time for something I love, and I had to stop and reflect the reasons why it was so difficut for me to dedicate a set amount of time in my day to something that is truly important to me. The answer is not unique, it was just about prioritising and understanding that my passions are what define who I am as an individual.

The reason I started The Passion Project was to help others identify and build on their respective passions, and somewhere in the recent past I forgot how to do the same for myself. With this realization came a new awakening, and I will hold myself accountable for this. What has been the bottleneck for you, that has stopped you from dedicating time to the areas of your interest? Have you stopped and acknowledged that something is not working the way it should be? There is nothing wrong in accepting our areas of development, as this is where the progress truly begins!

Some of the tools I have used to help me reach this understanding might not appear to be extraordinary, but they are:

1. Reading:

Just like writing, reading calms me. It allows me to indulge in an alternate reality, which doesn't hurt to be honest from time to time. Reading also makes you a better writer so win-win!

2. Mind Maps:

A mind map is an illustration with a keyword or phrase in the middle, lines connecting from the middle to a main idea, and even more lines connecting from main ideas to details. Building out from the center, mind maps are often said to look like sunbursts or even spiderwebs. Mind maps can have more than three levels (middle, main ideas, and details), but most stick with this model.?

3. Maintain a Journal:

This never gets old. You need your safe space where you can list your thoughts and feelings without any fear of judgemenet. A Journal also allows you to analyse patterns which miught be bringing you down.

4. Talk to yourself out loud:

This might seem silly, trust me it's not. It is important tell yourself the hard truths in order for yu to accept them. It takes courage but it is imperative.

5. Gratitude:

Do I even have to explain this? We need to acknowledge what we have and be grateful for it. Each day when I encounter something difficult and that disappoints me, I sit and reflect on what I have and how I am blessed in more way than I can imagine.

These are the tools that help me reflect better, you can have your own set of tools, but it is essential for you to understand that there is something wrong and that road block needs to be tackled, and it has to start with self-reflection!

Food for thought! Isn't it?