Getting Back In the Saddle!

Back in the Saddle1

I know some of you are wondering where I've been for the last few months. I've gotten some inquiries so I thought I'd catch you up on what has been happening. One last time I will mention that I had knee replacement surgery in November. I gave myself a good amount of time off work to recover and lucky for me, the really intense recovery only took a few weeks. I was back in the proverbial saddle pretty fast. I used a walker the first week, a cane the second week and about that time stopped the pain meds, which enabled me to drive (it was my left knee, so not needed for the driving effort). I am continuing to heal and I have to say it's been a very positive experience. My reason for not blogging started with giving myself space not to do it during recovery, then I was enjoying not having to do it and then the holidays came and I figured no one would notice! January hit like a firestorm and I had no capacity to do anything other than billable work. Now we’re in February and it's business as usual. I decided it was time for me to refocus and get back to it.

I have been contemplating what has been in my way, other than the details I rely on to support my rationale. I am attached to all the reasons I shared with you and count on them to reduce the anxiety I feel when I am not doing what I “should” be doing, in this case writing my blog. Like you, I take my commitments seriously and when I fall down on the job, I don’t feel good about myself. It is likely that I wouldn’t have stopped blogging except that a distraction, in the form of knee replacement, got in my way.

I know many of you can relate to the concept of getting (or not getting) back in the saddle after a distraction occurs. Whether it is good distraction or bad doesn't really matter. The issue is that getting around to it requires effort, discipline, and rigor. Often, we don’t feel these are at our fingertips. Here are some ideas that might support you to put your foot in the stirrup and boost yourself back into the saddle.

Five Ideas for Revitalizing your Commitment

1. Evaluate Your Level of Excitement If you are motivated and enthusiastic, it is easier than trying to birth or complete a project you don’t feel connected to. Check in with your excitement level and evaluate your commitment. Reboot if necessary. Recommit to what you are passionate about.

2. Do Your Creative Work First We tend to get our busy work out of the way and then delve into our projects. This can drain your energy and lesson your capacity to fully focus. Try doing your creative work first and fill in the busy work throughout your day.

3. Affirm Your Success Speak your project into existence by creating an affirmation. Make it a positive statement of your intended outcome. Post it where you’ll see it and say it out loud throughout the day.

4. Stop Multitasking According to contemporary thought, multitasking is a misnomer. Although we tend to “feel” more productive when we “think “we are multitasking, being in that zone actually makes us less focused and less productive. Set your timer and work on your project for a determined amount of time. Don’t let all the other “stuff” distract you.

5. “Perfect is the Enemy of Good” I know some of you get stopped in your tracks because you think “it” is not perfect and therefore not where you should be spending your time. Take a breath and contemplate that your desire for perfection is getting you nowhere and keeps you stuck in the mud.