The final part of our New Beginnings Series!
Done with that! Well, sort of…
When the mists of crisis finally begin to clear, how ever do you find your equilibrium and breathe new life into your dust-covered dreams?
First, congratulations! You’ve made it through either a busy season in life that was a big distraction, or perhaps a complete change in lifestyle that required your full focus for a while. Whatever brought you through, take a moment to celebrate!
Hearts lifted!
It’s time for your gratitude to overflow. You may be more weepy and sensitive or still require a bit more rest. This is your permission card to indulge in something restorative for you. Whether it’s been a season of life and death situations or something hard you’ve pressed through, take a moment with loved ones to rejoice you are here.
Writing the climax
When writing a novel, there’s always a big climax of action, where as an author you think of the worst thing that could happen to your protagonist—the one that would bring you to tears—then you do it to them! It creates the most lovely tension and sweeps your audience through to the glorious, nail-biting end scenes.
It’s not so different in real life sometimes, too. You’ve survived and been put through the press. Hopefully you’ve found your North Star, and a sense of faith, to bring you through. I cherish mine and create space to let it grow and revive after surviving the hard corners of life.
Now’s the fun part!
Revisit your goals, resources, and schedule.
Go to a quiet spot with your goals in mind and pick through them once more, making sure they still apply. If so, super, you’re ready to move forward.
Infrastructure needs change when life changes. Make sure your organization is on track. If it needs tweaking, then plan to phase that into your overall goals. It is such a relief to be focused and finish one thing at a time. It relieves stress, too, not to feel responsible to do it all at once.
Do you need to change the scope of your goal? Or are you in race-form now and ready to run? For example, I find I need to get up in the early hours to really complete a large writing goal. Organizing happens better for me in the cooler months when it’s not 100 degrees outside. I can write new creative work when the kids are in school, but only try to plan editing during the summers. You may need some time to find your rhythm and cycles.
Keep the attitude of “I get to” rather than “I have to.”
If your crisis has added permanent change in your life, take time out now and then to accept and adjust. This is so important with medical matters and if your family depends on you as a caretaker. Make sure you take care of yourself, too.
Begin the experiment!
Start with close-in goals and try to select one overarching priority. Communicate it clearly, as well as the potential rewards, with your family and loved ones. Once you have their buy-in work out a schedule that makes sense and you’re ready to launch. Guard your mindset and choices. Inevitably, exciting distractions or emotionally-draining situations will try and bust into your focus. Don’t let it happen, or adjust if it does sweep you away for an afternoon! And most of all, be elastic in your outlook. You’ll need to see this as an experiment and stay open to new possibilities.
Change eventually will seem more of a friend, less of a threat. Know you can persevere and have optimism again. And give hope to someone else who’s entered the valley. You already know the way through.
Whether it’s starting a new painting or constructing a building, you have my best wishes for your new beginnings!
Image courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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