Hi Friend
I spent a few days in Indianapolis this past week. I have only ever driven through it, but never spent time there. They have a canal and river similar to OKC plus a zoo in walking distance of downtown. There is a European-vibe downtown circle, that was unexpected. Overall it seems like a city with a lot of potential. Of course I was in a limited area and only there for a couple of days.
The other thing that happened this week was that I totally abandoned my morning routine. This wasn’t the first week either. It’s been a little startling to me, because for almost six months straight, I’ve been consistent and diligent to go through it. However, looking back, the last 4-6 weeks have been inconsistent, which is disappointing and strange. I love my morning routine!
Yet, here I am with the summer about to end and I find myself without a morning routine momentum. It’s a bummer. Have you ever started or been in a groove and then slowly relent and before you know it, it’s non-existent? I’ve been contemplating it because I realize it has happened. Of course we’ve all started things that fizzled out after a few weeks (hello New Years Resolutions).
This however, has been an ongoing staple for me for almost half a year, so for it to dissipate is unexpected. I have every intention of settling back in to what has become a familiar routine, but because I’ve lost momentum, there seems to be an invisible resistance. Initially, it had its challenges because I wasn’t used to it. But now that I’ve done it and dropped the ball, there is a different kind of difficulty.
Starting Over Feels Harder Than Starting
I don’t know if that’s because attempting again I’m reminded that I was doing awesome at it and then sorta failed? I have a good friend who is a recovering alcoholic. Years ago we were talking about making progress. I’ll never forget a little drawing he made that showed a baseline (sobriety for him) and then an angled jagged upward line indicating forward growth. He said if it ever dips below the baseline, it is exponentially harder to regain footing towards the goal.
There’s something magnetic about the baseline (whether drinking, complacency, mediocrity) that pulls us towards it and once we dip under, it’s gravitational pull gets stronger then it was before!
I don’t know if I’ve relapsed into laziness or simply lost momentum and didn’t inject a booster to reignite? Now I’m at a place where it requires significant effort again, instead of just going through the positive motion of habit. Drats! Also, I wonder if I could have pre-empted the fizzle, by making small adjustments to it, so it retained a freshness?
Starting Over
Accept & Forgive
Be Grateful for What Was
Benefit from the Past, Incorporate New
Anticipate Seasonal Changes
Review & Reset
Apply Effort
We both know the storied axiom about how much energy a rocket exerts breaking free of gravity through the atmosphere; and how after that, very little fuel is needed. I suspect we each have differing baseline forces that attempt to draw us back.
This is a funny thing to say, but it makes me wonder if I should value motivational speakers more in my life who could inject momentum fuel boosters? 😆
Friend, what thrusts you forward?
Instigating Ideas…
1. Determine if something that has slipped from your life is worth revisiting.
2. Forgive yourself if necessary.
3. Invite someone to partner with you for your next attempt.
Starting vs Starting Over
Hopeful vs Regretful
Anticipating vs Regrouping
Unknown vs Lost
Excited vs Disappointed
I wonder if there is a way in the midst of our daily lives and routines, we can insert Fresh Starts into all aspects of ongoing realities? Starting something stirs dreams and faith because it is yet unchartered. Generating expectancy is possible by layering new beginnings into old routines.
I’m sure I’ll keep you posted on how my starts, stops and restarts are going.