Hey Team,
As often happens, today’s post is a note to self as well as a note to you.
I slept poorly last night and I had all kinds of jumbled dreams and it took me a long time for my brain to come online this morning. I had planned to prepare today’s post as soon as I got up and then head out for tea with some friends but, instead, I was driving home from a great conversation over tea and noticed the time.
And realized that I forgotten to finish writing this Go Team post (I have lots of draft ideas but none of them are quite where I want them to be.)
And I felt terrible.
And I got a bit annoyed with my brain.
And I got a bit annoyed with myself.
And then I remembered that I am practicing Instant Forgiveness.
And I realized that I could use this experience as the basis of my post.
So here goes:
We all have plans for how we want our days to go and the plan works just often enough for our brains to be convinced – at least on some level – that things will always go as planned.
But we don’t actually show up to each day with the same level of energy, the same motivation, the same capacity, the same resources, the same control over our schedule, or the same attitude towards our plans.
In fact, all of those things can vary widely (especially for those of us with ADHD.)
So instead of trying to pretend that every day is exactly the same, I invite you to consider ‘Use Today’s Energy’ as a guideline for your day-to-day efforts towards your goals.
Once you get your day started, with great kindness, consider what kind of energy you have, what kind of energy you need, the time you have, and your current capacity then adjust your plans as needed.
Maybe today is a ‘do it anyway’ day in which pushing yourself to stick with the plan will serve you best.
Maybe today is a ‘do a different version of your plans’ day and scaling things down or reshaping them will be the best option.
Maybe you can’t settle into a seated meditation today so you try a walking or drawing practice instead.
Maybe you can’t bear the thought of that extended walk so you do a walk around your neighbourhood or around your house.
Maybe you need a boost of energy today so you choose to do a dance cardio session instead of yoga. (Yes, yoga is also energy boosting but it is a different kind of energy than dance cardio!)
Maybe you need a reminder of your own strength so you do some strength training.
Maybe you can’t get your brain to cooperate for that reflective journaling practice so you make a list entry instead.
Maybe you haven’t decided on a goal plan but, instead of worrying about getting it right, you just do any old thing that will shift you in the direction you want to go.
Maybe today is an ‘I hoped to exercise but my body is telling me that this is a rest day’ kind of day and you can celebrate how attuned you are to your own needs instead of trying to push beyond your limits.
Maybe you can’t write the more elaborate post you had planned but you can write a useful one that is a bit more ‘off top of your head’ but well within your capacity for the day. (This example might be less broadly applicable but you get the gist.)
No matter what your energy level and no matter how you show up for yourself, I really hope that you can be kind to yourself about your capacity today AND I offer this gold star for your efforts.
Go Team Us!
