Do you ever have the feeling that this year, 2020 will be a “lost” year of your life? You’re going through the motions of living. You know what needs to be done each day. You have enough – enough food, clothing, money – but something just isn’t right. No, nothing is right. If you’re feeling lost right now, know that you are not alone.
With a deep sigh, you scroll through Facebook in search of a post you can connect with. Something that will make you laugh, or at least smile. Yes, there’s one, and it’s from someone you know online. You scroll down further. There’s another one. It’s a photo of a puppy going to it’s “forever” home. But there is something sad about this one and you divert your gaze away from your computer so you won’t see any more.
We’re all struggling right now. We may have moments of sadness, along with frustration, worry, and despair. Why can’t we go back to the beginning of 2020, when everything was normal? We can’t go backwards because that moment has passed. Instead of placing blame and lashing out to those around us we must all take responsibility for how we will manage our time and move forward in a positive way. This is how I am choosing to make this year a meaningful one for me…
I’m Meeting the Challenge By Thinking of 2020 as My Pandemic “Gap” Year
I believe this year of 2020 is similar to the “gap” year many students choose to take between high school and college. Typically, these young people spend their year getting some work experience, interning, traveling, or volunteering for a cause they care about. It’s also a time to slow down, step back, and regroup from the years that went by too quickly, before moving on to the new normal of how you think your life is supposed to be. It’s a year of choices and getting to know yourself in a way that you haven’t taken the time to do so before. Can you imagine this year to be your “gap” year?
What if…
What if this was the year that would make all of the rest of your years make sense? What if this is an opportunity to reset the clock on everything you ever dreamed of doing, yet didn’t actually do. What if you’ll be able to look back at 2020, smile, and say “this was MY year and I set in motion the life I want to live for the remainder of my life”?
You can do this. It’s a choice. I have chosen to go down this path because I’m viewing it as the opportunity of a lifetime. And as 2020 draws to a close I will tell you that shifting my focus to what is happening right in front of me, instead of going a hundred miles an hour while standing still is serving me well.
I’m finishing up a new book I’m co-authoring with a colleague and outlining my next one. I’ve lost a significant amount of weight. I’m building new relationships and rekindling older ones. Self care has taken on new meaning in my life. Reading and spending time with my pets is part of my daily schedule. Cooking has become a joyous part of my day. I find myself with extra hours at the end of my day, instead of work left undone because I didn’t have enough hours in my day.
Jordan Brown wrote about this in an article entitled “Always Having Too Much to Do”
I have too much to do.
You’ve said it.
I’ve said it.
Your next-door neighbor has even said it.
It’s the plague of our modern world.
And, yes, there is a lot to do.
But there’s something else going on.
It’s buried in the way we frame the statement in the first place.
We must learn how to take your power back over all the things you need to do.
Power. Are you ready to take yours back?
Taking our power back begins with slowing down. Think about your life right now. It won’t be this way forever, I promise. This time is a gift and an opportunity, but only if we choose to accept it. If you are making yourself sick with worry the gift will elude you like feathers flying away in the wind. This is a time to stand up straight and tall and take charge of your future.
The Secret: You can have, be, or do anything if you are willing to take responsibility, take charge, and take action. It really is this simple.
Taking Responsibility in My Pandemic “Gap” Year
Long ago I learned that being willing to take full responsibility for everything that transpires in my life is beneficial in many ways. What this means is that I must make the right choices or be willing to live with the consequences. It’s empowering to know that what is manifesting for me is completely of my choosing and based on the thoughts and ideas I seek out in my mind.
My pandemic “gap” year is filled with new exploration, dreams, ideas, and goals. The more challenging, the better. Impossible? Not in my vocabulary any longer. What I believed was lost has now been found. A part of my inner self hopes this time will linger a little longer than it most likely will. My daydreams include slow-motion accounts of the goals and actions I am putting in place for myself.
Taking Charge of Your Life in Each Moment
I’ve written at length about a concept known as “segment intending,” where you think about what you wish to achieve before moving on to your next segment of time. Practice this for s few days and it will become second nature to you. Life is so much fuller and more rewarding when you exceed your potential and surpass your goals.
Taking Massive Action to Live the Lifestyle I Want and Deserve
I’ll admit that over the years I seldom took massive action. Then I came online to become an entrepreneur in 2006 and that had to change. Doing just enough to get by would not get me to where I wanted to be. Instead, it would require massive action on a very regular basis. It wasn’t long before I figured out that you could achieve great success as an online entrepreneur if you simply decided to do the work. The concept of working harder in order to “do the work” at the highest level possible drove me to strive for more.
I give you permission to take a pandemic “gap” year. It will change your life, I promise and you will wonder why you didn’t do this sooner. Reach for the stars, take good care of yourself, and believe that the only outcome for you is great success. This gift is a rocket ship to outer space and beyond. Buckle in and enjoy the journey.
I’m Connie Ragen Green, enjoying my pandemic “gap” year in a way that serves me right now. Come along for this joyous and thrilling ride to discover how you will use this year to create the life experience of your dreams.
Leave a Reply