8/18/2019 0 Comments Command Joy by Living UniquelyOur unique lifestyles tell a clear story about who we are and how we think. Lifestyle is everything from our hobbies to where we go to how we feel once we’re there. It’s how we dress, what we watch, and what we pay attention to. It’s what we do when we wake up each day.
Whether we prefer to spend our time in front of a computer screen, binge watch a series, or play games on our phone, our lifestyle is a reflection of our attitude and the things we value in our lives. But very few of us analyze our unique lifestyles with a close eye. Recently I decided to reflect on my own unique lifestyle. I strive to create a lifestyle that is aligned with my values. I value inner peace, financial security, positivity, and health. Yet I was noticing some really bad habits I had fallen into! I was starting my day in social media and email. When I woke up, I was immediately checking my phone. And when I looked at insta and scrolled down, I was subconsciously comparing myself to other people. I would think about why I didn’t have as many followers as they did, or why I didn’t have that many likes. And it was really dragging me down! By checking social media first thing, I was forgetting about my life and my day. After getting my social media updates, my next habit was to check my email. This would start me in a time suck of answering OTHER people’s fire drills. By checking into other people’s lives and other people’s deadlines in my inbox, I was training my brain to live OTHER people’s lives! I knew I needed to stop this but it was an addiction. I had to teach myself to stop this behavior. So, I started small. I turned my phone off. I put it in the other room when I slept. I didn’t turn it on until I had finished the top 3 things that I needed to get done that day. It was very hard to get over the addiction. Very hard. For years I was literally beginning my day by answering what other people needed from me. Not what I needed from me. Breaking this bad habit was especially hard because I am a people pleaser! So when we live to please, we want to give our energy and effort to other people. But it takes perspective to realize that we lose ourselves when all day we are reacting to other people’s needs, drives, and ambitions. So instead of starting my day in Instagram and email, I start my day by asking “What are the top 3 actions I need to do TODAY to move forward on my dreams?” “Who do I need to reach out to or connect with?” “What are my key deadlines today?” I had to shift my mindset to start seeing my inbox only as a way to communicate. Not a place for over reacting to everyone else’s urgency. I started to block time during my day to ensure that some things that I need to happen actually happen. I had to take back control and do the things that really needed to get done. For me. Shifting our time to spend our energy on things that will advance our own lives vs. everyone else’s takes patience. And practice. So we can all start by beginning the day with intention. We can show up consciously, present, and engaged. We can think about the major things that have to happen today to move our lives forward. We can close our eyes and think about the things that we want to accomplish today. Then we can get going. We can all live better. By simply realizing what we value and by creating more space in our lives to do the activities that align with those values, we can live uniquely.
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