Finding Purpose In Your Day
Looking To The Sea
Hello Colorful Friend,
Are you finding it hard to find purpose in your days?
As this pandemic wears on and the calendar flips from one month to the next, you're not alone if you find it's getting harder to stay positive, upbeat and inspired. Isolation – not to mention all of the negativity swirling in the news – feeds despondency and can leave us questioning our purpose.
Some days are tougher than others – many of you tell me it's hard to find energy to do small everyday tasks that were a no-brainer just months ago. Perhaps you're like me and feel OK when you're in the middle of a project, but don't know what to do with yourself when the project is finished?
Before – there wasn't enough time. Now – there's too much
To-do lists, from a time that was too busy, are now accumulating dust. Big projects 'to be tackled when life calms down' lay fallow.
But here's the deal – by doing a few simple things, it's possible to turn despondency into inspiration, listlessness into action
Some days I have to work hard to find purpose
When I'm having a particularly tough day, I remind myself to:
Stick to a routine – even the simplest things can provide much needed structure and combat low energy
Write stream-of-consciousness about what I see, how I feel in the moment. This helps me to do #3
Tune in to nature with all my senses – she is truly magnificent, all I need to do is pay attention and she fills me with inspiration
Stay creative / do my work every single day – showing up, even when I don't think I have the energy, gives me a small burst of accomplishment which leads to inspiration which leads to a sense of purpose
Go easy on myself – I don't have to accomplish much to chalk it up as a purposeful day... perhaps all I am meant to do today is drink my coffee and listen to birdsong. And that's pretty darn wonderful!
I turned a bad morning into a good day
This morning started out tough for me... so I wrote about it (#2 on my action list!) and in doing so, I refocused my energy and lifted my mood!
By reading what I wrote out loud to you, I hope to reinforce that you're not alone on those tough days, and that you too can fill yourself with possibility and purpose!
Listen in while I read, and you can hear how my focus changed from the bad mood I woke up with, to calming myself with routine, and then becoming immersed in the beauty of my surroundings. Finally, by the time I finished writing, my mood was light, my creativity ignited.