What I love about the 100 day challenge is that it truly is a win, win situation. Usually when we are trying to shift a habit or stick to a New Years Resolution we take what I call the "white knuckle approach", we suffer through it. The mind set of this challenge and of the 60 day challenge in my program "Breaking Thru Your Invisible Barrier to Success" is that if you fall off the horse, you just get back on, there are no ramifications, no points lost. I even take it one step further and treat falling off the horse with joy. If we are truly experimenting then we need all kinds of data to figure out what makes us tick. I firmly believe for most people that falling off the horse a few times, especially in the first 30 days is a key to your success.
I know you are asking well how is that any different than messing up in my day to day life and not completing what I set out to do? The big difference is being aware. In a challenge you already have a heightened awareness around whatever it is you are focusing on. Instead of sitting typing away, transfixed on the computer screen completely absorbed, yesterday my awareness kept checking in. "It's about time to stop, now" "You are obsessing" "It's time to meditate". Simply being aware that what you are doing is not what you WANT to be doing is huge. Awareness is the precursor to choice. From a place of choice we can take conscious action
and take back control of our lives. Even if the choice is to continue doing what we are doing, it is coming from a conscious place of choice rather than an unconscious place of reaction, habit and possibly addiction.
When you fall off the horse explore why, how and what.
- Why are you doing what you are doing?
- How did you shift gears and resume old behaviour, habits, and routines? (Show me the evidence).
- What was the trigger?
Yesterday my "Why" was trying to reach the elusive light at the end of the tunnel. I'm sure this will sound familiar to some of you; "If I could just finish....then I will have everything done/be complete/not need to do anything more...". Thus Rome was not built in a day. I realized a few months ago, there is no light at the end of the tunnel, there are just corners in the tunnel, twists and turns. Every time you think you reach the end, it's just a corner and when you turn it there is the light again dancing away in the distance laughing lat you ike the ginger bread boy "you can't catch me". I had shifted gears away from that mentally and was really beginning to grasp one of the principles of attraction "Perfect the Present". Yesterday was a reminder that I have not yet fully learnt that lesson.
How did I shift into this mode, what actions and behaviour told me I was functioning using my old, outdated operating system?
- I had trouble concentrating on anything else.
- When Sofie spoke to I wasn't present with her
- I ate at the computer
- I choose not to meditate
- I was following a to-do list with no end point instead of focusing on my priorities
- When I left the computer I couldn't wait to get back
- Overall I felt out of intergrity - my body knows!
What triggered this behaviour? Part of it is an adjustment to the time change which has thrown off, what I thought was a solid morning routine but the real trigger was excitement about all the possibilities. I completed the 7 Step Marketing Plan that I designed and used it to create a marketing plan. It illuminated and uncovered so many possible actions I was giddy with excitement. Trying to act on them all at once was where I began to spiral down. I saw completing the plan as the light at the end of the tunnel, instead of what it is, a stepping stone on my journey as I forge my own path.
So here we are back to my theme for the year "forging my own path". When I start looking too far ahead with reckless abandon and desire it takes me away from the present which is where my true success lies, right here, right now.
I completed a lot of things yesterday but at the cost of tight shoulders, self care, time with Sofie and Kirk and who knows what opportunities I missed because I had my blinders on.
But still, even with this, yesterday was a WIN. It was a win because I am aware, because I have recalibrated and am back in the present, conscious right now. I have anchors which I put in place at the beginning of the challenge to hold my focus, my support call, this blog, meditaion and healthy postive routines. Because this morning I got up and meditated and tonight at 5:30 PM I will switch off the computer and enjoy an evening of Artistic Women at my house, completely present and open to all the wonderful oppertunities that are availble to me right now if I just open my eyes.
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