I wanted to jot down some thoughts for you if you are feeling a sense of listlessness, lack of motivation, blocked, stuck or overwhelmed in your practice. As I look back at moments of change (like a year ago, preparing for redundancy) I recall that I was at that time feeling lost and directionless.
It’s as though, we need to feel those feelings of dissatisfaction to get clear on what we want. I know too, that it can be all too easy to cover over or suppress the uncomfortable feelings that precipitate change in an effort to stop ourselves from changing and evolving. We cling to comfort as to change and evolve–to grow–it is at times painful and overwhelming. That is a part of the process. Irritatingly.
So how do we avoid the overwhelm of change from stopping us from doing what we want to do?
Dream and journal where you want to be. Where do you hope to land on the other side of the change process? Get clear on what you enjoy doing, and increase the time you spend doing that. Working with someone else (like me!) can help you shake down your dreams and build a plan.
Observe your day: what are your habits and routines? It is our habits and routines that can support change, so become intentional about what you commit to as part of your daily and weekly schedule. Activities that support your well-being, and that you can slot into your schedule easily work best: walking, meditating, yoga etc.
I’ve cultivated pleasure in preparing the food I take out with me before I leave the house. I make a pack up of food I carry around with me excited to eat. I decided to prepare food so that I could save money, and use the money I saved to travel to other cities to see art and meet people. This change in my behaviour has enabled me to feel more in charge of my time and resources. It’s that feeling of being in charge that can transform feelings of stagnation into action. Even something as mundane and everyday as making lunch can support growth and action. And growth and action are what combat directionlessness.
Stagnation and Directionlessness