Bring your “E” game
What a doozy of a year. I will not deny that 2021 was intense and I recognize the challenges it presented locally, nationally, and globally. I feel for the frontline workers who have borne the brunt of a second pandemic year. There was an expectation that the pandemic would be over by now and that life as we knew it would return, but that is not what 2021 brought us.
It’s easy to fall into the “what a terrible year” club — where we bemoan the things we couldn’t do or the places we couldn’t go. I get it! If we had returned to “normal” I would have been going and doing because BUSY is what I do best — but — the lack of normal busyness was a huge gift in my life. The “clipped wings” that 2021 brought allowed me time to identify some of the unhealthy patterns in my life and the courage to tackle them.
Where do I begin with the unhealthy patterns in my life? There are so many. I don’t exercise enough, I could eat better, sometimes I use bad language…..ok, I often use bad language. I am not present with my family, constantly on my phone. I don’t even know how these bad patterns developed, just one day I woke up and so many of the good things I used to do or like to do didn’t happen anymore. I used to ride my bike to work, but I didn’t anymore because I needed to get there quickly. I didn’t paint anymore because “who has the time"?” I didn’t take my kids for mom lunches anymore because I was busy, busy, busy. But the question I have for myself is,
“Really? Are my excuses real or just very bad patterns I have developed?”
Honestly, they probably are both. These bad habits developed over necessity at one stage, but then they stuck and formed a pattern. This past COVID year, I had the time to really examine these patterns and I realized that I had built a life that was missing some of the things I really, really liked doing.
The quiet of 2021 allowed me the opportunity to see that I said “no” more than I said “yes”, or when I heard about something new, my reaction was cynicism. There were moments in 2021 where I was so negative that I could barely stand myself! In observing myself, I found that my bad patterns not only encompassed activities but also my attitude. I wanted to change, and so I started to ask myself:
What kind of person do I want to be?
What kind of things do I want to do?
What kind of words do I want to speak?
What actions will it take for me to make real and meaningful changes in my life?
Albert Einstein's definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”. Sit with that for a minute. Is there anything you do over and over again and don’t like the result? What would it take to change that?
I don’t have resolutions this year as much as a list of different results I would like to see in my life. For me, these are some identified patterns I want to change which will mean experimenting — I call this my “E” game. With my “E” game, I experiment with different ways to get to my end goal. I will try lots of different approaches, activities, and practice growth attitudes to get to my goals. I also recognize for me…these patterns will not change overnight. This will be a long journey full of triumphs and failures. I can accept this and embrace the journey, maybe even one day laugh about all the kooky things I tried and then share the ones that actually worked for me.
I am grateful that 2021 gave me the time to see what patterns I needed to shift. I am looking forward to the learning 2022 will bring. One thing I have learned in 2021 is, in the dark there is light, in discouraging times there is hope. Keep going.
So 2022, I am coming for you and I am bringing my “E” game. What about you? What patterns in your life do you want to change? How are you going to do that? Remember there will be triumphs and failures…so bring your “E” game.
