Today, I am still thinking about our future selves but while yesterday’s thoughts were about timing, today’s thoughts are about traditions.
It’s stating the obvious, of course, but this time of year tends to be very tradition-laden.
Basically, there are all kinds of things that we do because that’s what we have always done. Those things can take up a lot of space in our lives – even if we enjoy doing them.
And whether those traditions are about celebrations, end of year tasks, or about our work, it can be a good idea to stop every so often and make sure they are still serving us – still serving the purpose we want them to serve.
Traditions that make us happy are great.
Traditions that serve the purpose we want them to serve are useful.
Traditions done for tradition’s sake? Those are a burden.
And it’s ok to put burdens down when you don’t need to carry them anymore.
But it’s logistically and emotionally tricky to stop a tradition that other people enjoy. (Especially if and when that tradition involves a lot of unseen work that you do but they benefit from.)
And it’s even trickier to halt or change a tradition if it usually happens in the near future.
However, right now, you have an opportunity to think about the traditions you follow each December and start to reconsider them.
You don’t have to make any big decisions or start any arguments right now but you are close enough to your traditions to remember which ones you really treasure and which ones upset you or make you tired.
And you have time to plan how and when to talk to everyone involved about changing, removing, or enhancing those traditions for next year. You don’t have to have those conversations right now but you can start to consider when would be the least emotionally-challenging time to have them.
And while most of these thoughts will be about creating space for your future self, even considering changing or stopping traditions will probably give your current self a little extra space.
Just please be kind to yourself in the process. ⭐️💚
Of course, as always, I want you to do what works for you, what creates a sense of well-being in your mind and in your life. You don’t have to take my suggestions and you certainly don’t have to consider removing any traditions – you can make space in any way that works for you.
Here are a couple of videos that you might want to use to create space today.
As I was searching for a short cardio workout, I came across this villain-themed dance video and I thought it was hilarious. We aren’t evil because we are thinking about changing up some traditions but we might *feel* like villains – might as well embrace the role and have some dance-y fun with it.
And for our meditation, I thought cultivating a calm mind was a great way to start contemplating future changes.
About Making Space 2022
About Making Space 2022
In December 2020, Fit is a Feminist Issue blogger Martha created a tradition – a series of reminder posts to take good care of ourselves during this last month of the year when it is far too easy to get swept up in your to do list, no matter what you are celebrating or not celebrating. Last year, it was my turn and after an introductory Go Team post called Give Yourself Some Space, I created a series of reminders called ‘Making Space‘ that offered a suggested short exercise video and a suggested meditation in case you needed an easy way to find space for yourself in your schedule.
For 2022, I’ll be doing the same thing but I’ll also be including a link to Martha’s post from the same date in 2020 and I’ll offer a few extra ideas for relaxation, creativity, and self-kindness here and there.
These posts are not about insisting that you do more, more, more during this busy season. Instead, I want to encourage you to remember that there IS a *YOU* who is doing all of the things and you are worth taking good care of.
Perhaps the things I suggest aren’t what you need in the moment. That’s totally ok. Perhaps you can use something else to create some space, something that will help you feel more relaxed or more in charge of your day.
