Hi, friend. Happy 2022.
Like me, you may have chosen to start the new year off on a quiet note … specifically, I was in bed when 2022 rolled into our lives.
This is certainly a far cry from what I used to do - staying up all night to watch the ball drop in NYC … but always from the comfort of my own home, of course ;)
Also like me, you may be turning your computer back on for the first time this week.
Shaking off the dust, logging back into all your accounts, and trying to feel some semblance of organization amongst emails, tasks, and larger goals.
I even have the first draft file of my next book open on my computer right now … it’s staring at me … waiting for attention.
But if you took time off at the end of 2021 (and a sincerely hope you were able to!), then maybe JUST maybe you actually feel a bit rested and … *gasp* … grateful to be getting back to work?
As a former perfectionist people-pleaser, even looking at social media during the end of the year can make a person fall into Imposter Syndrome or the Laziness Lie in the blink of an eye.
Instead, I pushed myself to rest - which sounds backward, but very true.
I spent more time doing absolutely nothing than I can express here. It was divine.
And now, sitting in front of my computer again, I actually feel happy to have a role, a job to come back to that not only welcomes me but also provides the valuable benefit of having a direct, positive impact on individuals and businesses.
Not all of us are able to see the direct impact of our actions, our work tasks, our writing … but it’s there.
We know that all life, all actions, all choices are interconnected in countless ways.
The fresh snowfall may be nature’s way of thanking you for buying someone coffee last week.
Or helping your neighbor to wrap presents.
Or making that favorite dish your one family member loves but you can barely stand to smell.
So as you return to work - whatever work looks like for you - I invite you to bring some of that rest, that ease, that I-don’t-have-to-be-in-a-rush-24/7-vibe into the tasks, to-dos, and larger goals that you have been given or chosen for yourself.
Words matter, and the words we choose to use matter.
If you still talk about your job/your work/your career in terms of “grinding” and “hustling”, you’re asking for another 2020 all over again.
I’m not one for new year’s resolutions - I like to initiate change any day, any time - but I do have hope for you (and me).
I hope that we move through 2022 as we’ve never moved on this planet before.
I hope we move with more ease, more grace, more patience, and more curiosity than ever before.
I hope work feels more worthwhile, and personal time feels more restorative than ever before.
For me, finishing the first draft of my next book is my major goal for 2022 … but it will only happen if I work on it piece by piece, story by story, chapter by chapter.
So here’s to spending our time in more worthwhile ways, every day, whether we’re making money or not.
Gratefully,
VK