“Dear Year’s End: I Hate You…Not”
Our guest writer Karehma is back with some insightful words of wisdom and soul searching questions we might ask ourselves, now that the year is coming to a close.
The New Year is right around the corner. It’s very cold in some parts of the country. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) rears its real and ugly head. Plus, after all the deaths of legendary entertainment and pop icons, you’re ready to drag year 2016 out back and shoot it. We are all probably thinking of ways to make the renewed year better, or are in some contemplative state of self-improvement.
Routine is the number one buzz-kill of personal fulfillment. Maybe personal activity has been slow around year-end. At work, that staff project backlog is looking tired everyday. Whether you are a transplant away from family, or an empty nester, this time of year can be bittersweet. Sometimes the holidays are just outright hard. Winter is somewhat analogous to a death, but not finite. There is a resting period preparing for future growth. I like to consider myself in a rebuilding process during the cold year-end. Maybe you are too. Have you been considering how you are progressing and maintaining your emotional connection to those things that matter most to you? You may need to consider the following to see where you stand.
1. Are you staying happily busy?
If you are spinning your wheels, take the time to clean up your never-ending activities. Some tasks may no longer serve you, or you do not yet have the courage to tell someone you are becoming worn and frayed. Try and turn your busy-ness around for attainable goals that allow you to move forward and not drain you.
2. Are you making good connections?
Perhaps you would like a mentor, or add value to something this coming year. There is an experience you would like to acquire for you. Tap the professional organizations you are part of to see what is going on locally or at large. Friends or professionals can tell you about local philanthropic opportunities that play to your strengths, both personal and career. Around this time two years ago, I showed up at a local Engineers Without Borders chapter meeting, not knowing where I would fit in yet. I was greeted with open arms. Since then I have mentored, been mentored, traveled abroad, and haven’t looked back. Organizations can include those career-related, but casual settings that build fun and functional relationships. Go for it!
3. Are you thinking creatively?
You do not have to be artsy-fartsy per se. Rather, are you seeing opportunities from what you have been cultivating in your personal or professional life over the years? Staying engaged with your industry or even how to take your hobbies to a next fulfilling level is a routine-buster. Be nosy. Be inquisitive. See how your current skills fair beyond what you have been asked or expected to do for others. Much of our dissatisfaction stems from serving ourselves last on a regular basis.
4. Is this right for you?
If you find it difficult to answer the previous questions, it would be a good time to ask “is this right for me?” Is this field right for you? Is this role right for you? How do you see yourself now and does that vision measure up to your intentions of several years or even several months ago? Have you begun to play it safe so as not to piss anyone off? The limits of where you live, how old you are, how much time, how much money, and, and, and… are bombarding messages. But acknowledging just how much your desires mean to you is the beginning of the end of stagnation.
Serendipity-making is seizing opportunity in all that you do. You may know by now, no one is going to make the amount of investment into your personal satisfaction as you would. Even our most loving friends and family who try have limits. Observe your attachments and have the brutally (but loving) honest conversation with yourself. Then seek a confidant as a sounding board. We do not have to hate the year on its way out. We can thank it for stinging just enough to move us right along.
Thanks for stopping by friends. How will you greet the new year?
We partner with busy homeowners to create spaces they can be proud of and we blog about subjects that inspire and enrich our lives.
Happy Holidays
Contact us to learn more about our products and services. You can email us at rjackson@yourdesignpartner.com or call 513-409-3759
Inspiring Creativity,
Ricci
Shop Cool Finds
