9 Tips to Do Hard Things
Before I get to this, I need to acknowledge that I was able to do all of this stuff without having to navigate racism directed at me. Black people, Indigenous people and people of Colour (BIPOC) always deal with an additional layer of injustice, and it’s been especially present in mind since George Floyd’s death on May 25. There are ongoing protests and the news is covering anti-racism constantly, and for those directly affected, who have ALWAYS had to think about it, it is especially exhausting. I want to acknowledge that even though I’m doing ongoing work to stay educated and fight this injustice, I am not battling direct injustice. More on that to come in some guest posts I’ve done for blogs and podcasts.
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Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how we’re told we should do stuff that’s hard. Like giving a speech to a group. Like speaking up when somebody’s being racist. Like being authentic. Like building a business in the middle of a global pandemic.
But what’s missing is the how. The steps. The examples.
If you’ve been keeping up with me for a while, you know that I use 4 elements to speak confidently (giving a speech, asking for a raise, calling out an interrupter): standing, breathing, speaking and reading.
Today I want to talk about how I’ve done a bunch of hard things in 2020 so far. And guess what? You have also done a bunch of hard things in 2020 so far. We all have.
So much on your plate.
I don’t know about you, but I already had a lot of things on my plate that began January 1. And somehow, despite this being the most bizarre and unimaginable year so far, I did them. And I’m not going to lie, I am really fucking proud of that.
Here’s a list of things that were part of my new year’s resolutions:
Leave my full time job at the end of April.
Start a new part time job teaching at St. Lawrence College in January.
Do the Make It Work Online 12 week business course from February to May.
Continue to give workshops and 1:1 coaching throughout.
Those were my goals to get me to the end of April. Already a pretty heavy load, nevermind things like my daughter’s 3 extra-curricular activities, my Mom’s partner of 14 years passing after a year of dealing with stage 4 esophageal cancer, getting a dog in February, a global awareness and uprising of racial injustice…
Oh, and the pandemic.
Knowing what I knew in December of 2019 (and not knowing what I didn’t know), I plotted out a way for me to be able to get shit done like a boss, and I want to share that with you.
I wanted to quit.
Because when the pandemic hit, I wanted to quit. To quit it all and focus on getting by.
But I didn’t.
I’d already done SO much work in the business course. I was really enjoying teaching my class at the College. We were figuring out how to do remote learning at my daughter’s school. I quickly learned how to navigate Zoom and Teams and be able to teach and coach virtually.
Here’s the thing: I’d set myself up so well, that I could continue. I’d been disciplined, organized, thoughtful and careful. And I knew that if I kept going, I’d get to the other side.
Here’s what I did to set myself up:
I woke up every day at 6am and did my morning routine. I do a series of stretches I learned in the 90s in theatre school, and add a headstand and meditation at the end. I essentially iron out the kinks and get my brain set to have a good day. Want to know my morning routine? Grab it here.
I ate well. I’m not a fan of dieting, but I know from years of different assessments and diagnoses that if I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables with protein (meat and plant-based), and cut out dairy (I’m lactose intolerant) and most grains, my energy levels stay even, and my brain works better. I can focus more.
I drank a lot of water. Which I do anyhow, but I always made sure my water bottle was full.
I went to bed at a good time every night and got a good sleep.
I put drinking alcohol on pause. I enjoy drinking, but I know that it makes me tired, makes me lose my ambition, and can make me feel like shit the next day. I couldn’t afford to waste any time, so I cut it out for January, and that turned into February. (March was a whole other story, but hey, we all needed something to cling to in March.)
I practised rituals that make me stay on top of my goals, and keep me grounded and focused. And make me feel good. Things like drawing tarot cards, manifesting goals on the new moon, letting go of stuff that doesn’t do me any favours on the full moon. Lighting candles, putting intentions into crystals. The way I see this stuff, I’m externalizing my internal road map. I’m intentionally thinking about things in a metaphorical way that gets me jazzed and makes me feel magical. And I go with that because it works and feels purposeful.
I did the fucking work. I know that we all know we have to do the work, but we all also know that we don’t always do it. I did it. And sometimes it’s as simple as making that choice.
I had a timeline. I knew I was going to kick it in high gear until the end of April, and knowing there was a deadline meant that I could really expend energy while I waited for a reprieve. (Again, not knowing in January what lay ahead in March.)
I stayed flexible. I didn’t dwell on how what was happening was changing my plans. I went with the flow of the world, and adapted to it. (People say “pivot”, but I prefer “adapt”.)
So when the world fell apart, I stayed on track. Last week I talked about having a plan, and this week I’m showing you what my plan was, and how it worked for me.
Want to know how I’m planning for September 2020 to December 2021? I’ve printed out calendar pages for each month, plugged in important dates (to me and nationally/globally) and am starting to work through a system for what to focus on. It feels big (thank you to Katie Ross who I hired to help me work on this stuff) and it feels manageable. And now I know that no matter what else this world has in store for us, I’m ready.
AND it means that my new course is on track to launch this November. Are you on the wait list to be the first to hear about it, yet? Get on it!
Let me know in the comments what you do to set yourself up to reach your goals. I love hearing about other peoples’ routines and rituals!
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Want to work with me? Schedule us for a 15 minute chat and let’s make a plan!
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