Do Yourself a Favor and Don't Go Back to Normal

Our challenge each day as EXTRAordinary individuals is to dig deep to keep becoming better than we were the day before. Yes, the world has seemed to stop and a new normal was cast upon us, but don’t just ride it out in hopes to get back to normal. 

Within a matter of 24 hours we were able to implement new guidelines, rules, and/or habits to adapt to a life that requires less hands-on interaction with the world, but more interaction with self and loved ones. 

Some people find the need to stay home without a hectic daily routine to be a welcome change in their life. On the other hand, some individuals find it hard to wrap their head around staying at home while still having to maintain all parts of life without the ability to physically decompartmentalize. There are so many combinations of what change has brought about for all of us. For me, the one thing that changed is having my family home with me all day. I transitioned to an online entrepreneur and creative a few years ago and I’m usually happily at home by myself during the work week. This is a change I welcome because I value every second spent with my family and we have a rhythm and groove that just works. Hubby and I do have a little bit of withdrawal from our interrupted empty nesting, but enjoying our daughter’s company certainly holds more weight than the temporary loss of our “alone” time together. (read about my thoughts on empty nesting here)

Being in quarantine is an opportunity! Whether you choose to do a hard reset or slight change in one or two areas, this is your moment to snap out of your ordinary. Your life is literally speaking to you. You may not like what it has to say, but the good news is that you have the ability to make change in every area of your life. Even if you are ok with what your life is “saying” to you, challenge yourself to do more. Commit to coming out of quarantine better in at least one area of your life. Five things that come to mind are listed below:

Embrace change

A good time to embrace change sometimes is when you realize that you are not in this alone. Some people find comfort in knowing that their unfortunate circumstances are not an isolated incident. That’s right, all of our fabulous trips have been cancelled! Likewise, seniors (HS & College) across the nation are mourning the end of an academic period. Yes, collective loss brings about comfort, but keep in mind that your life can individually change for good or not so good at any moment as well. Therefore, in the future remember how you leaned on your support system to get through, and mimic that for the inevitable life-changes that are to come. 

Add to your gratitude jar daily

This is a life-changing practice! You have zero time to focus on anything negative when your mind is fixed on gratitude. Life is a mind game and giving thanks is equivalent to a “check-mate” in chess. The one thing that I give thanks for in not-so-good times is that it is temporary. I find myself thinking to myself “Thank God this is temporary” multiple times a day. Embracing gratitude is also vital to developing a self-care mindset (read about it here). 

Ask for help when you need it

Help is out there regardless of what you are going through. The person or people you want help from may not be able to help you, but it doesn’t disqualify the fact that receiving help is one request away. We are expected to physically isolate and maintain our social distance, but our ability to connect with and obtain information is at an EXTRAordinary, all-time high. Become comfortable with being vulnerable (ie. asking for help). Celebrate the notion of being a learner in as many aspects of your life as you can! Try it while we are all in this together and keep it going forever.  

Create

Tap into your creative energy. Creativity is known to boost confidence and mood in significantly positive ways. The beauty of creativity is that it comes out in so many ways. What area of life excites you beyond what you do for a living? When you choose to create, you allow yourself to be vulnerable which inevitably leads to learning more of who you are. Not to mention, being creative is FUN and the part of life where you have the most control over. In your creative space, you set and change the tone which is where your power lives.

Commit to daily self improvement 

Each day do something that makes you a better version of who you are. You can focus on one area at a time, or multiple areas over a period of time. You’re never done becoming the best version of yourself! Writing your thoughts in a journal can help to identify the areas that you want to focus on first. All the answers are within us, but when our minds are crowded, it’s difficult to have the clarity needed to be better. Simple things are powerful tools of great change. At a time like this when we are stripped down to the basics, the level of your self-worth holds the key to your will and ability to move forward versus becoming paralyzed. 

I’m excited to continue sharing my thoughts with you during this time, and I look forward to reading your reflections as we all navigate this time together. 

One week down and I’ve already made time to reach out to loved ones, gained additional clients as an online tutor, completed a cleanse, watched two docuseries and a movie on Netflix, found toilet paper at Costco, completed my online course with a 4.0, and started to make vision boards for my upcoming trips.

This week, I’ll be revisiting my layered living planner which serves as a positive reminder to live purposefully. I’m getting better with commiting to at-home, indoor workouts, but taking walks are helping to fill the time beautifully. 

How have you taken control of the time you’ve been given thus far? This time is a GIFT.