A weekly tradition where we pop the cork on the week that was, celebrate what worked, reflect on what didn’t, and look forward to a sparkling new week of possibility. I hope you’ll join me and share your reflections in the comments.
What am I celebrating?
That this week has been less difficult than last week.
I think last week is best summed up by what happened during my weekly appointment with Kim, who tweaks and tweezes my eyebrows. (Yes I am obsessive about keeping my eyebrows shaped.) As I lay on her table she said, with kindness and a gentle touch, “you look tired.” I started to cry. I am not sure who was more surprised – me or Kim.
What am I acknowledging?
The resilience and complexity of the relationship between a mother and her children.
What was missing?
This week I have been missing energy, a spring in my step, patience and a feeling of lightness…
but I have also been missing back-to-back appointments, a never-ending to-do list, and pressure to complete…
this left space for me to share a cup of tea with Tony, browse in the shops (something I rarely do, I tend to shop with a clear outcome in mind), share lunch with Davina and celebrate Cat’s birthday with a couple of glasses of wine and chocolate brownie for dessert (missing out on the worry on how this would impact on my run later in the afternoon as I didn’t go).
What small change can I make for next week?
My tendency is to take an all or nothing approach – don’t start something if you’re not going to finish it, don’t try something unless you are going to give 110%.
This is why I never started watching Masterchef series, I knew that it would require a 7 day a week commitment for several weeks that I did not have time for in my life (by the time series 2 came around I had convinced myself that it was OK to drop in and catch an episode here and there).
The flip side of being committed and dedicated, especially in work, is that projects don’t get started unless there are big chunks of time available in which to finish them. Consequently I have big projects on my list that are not getting done.
I’ve been experimenting with just starting – a project or piece of writing – and not worry about finishing straight away. It’s worked well. I have been able to come back later to polish and complete, without feeling overwhelmed that I have a huge project looming over my head.
I know this is not rocket science and I know how important it is to break a project into tasks and yet I don’t do it (enough). This week I am going to be doing more of this, spending a spare 15 – 20 minutes on getting something started. In fact, that’s how I got this Champagne Friday written!
Ready to pop the cork with me? I’d love to hear about your week in the comments…
Image by nImAdestiny
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