As February arrived, I saw myself in ‘doing‘ mode once again!
If you’ve read my #woty post, you already know that this year I’m focussing on ‘being‘ who I am, even though, I must admit, ‘doing‘ has always been the engine that has driven my life forward.
It has always got me up and about every morning for years, nudging me and chiding me, and at times, even coaxing me to keep moving towards my goals.
‘Being‘—the fuel that sustains us, became my focal point, as I reflected on my life, and realised that in the quest for ‘doing‘, I had nearly given up on ‘being‘ the person that I am.
I think for the first time in my life, I understood how the process of ‘being‘ had always been giving me the energy and the clarity to keep going, even when things had been getting tough over the years.
As we all know, the world we live in, lays a great deal of emphasis on ‘doing‘ – it’s the hustle culture, the over-productive, super efficiency-focused mantra of those who are successful and at the helm of businesses and organisations—the leaders, the achievers and the doers, who define how we should measure success. .
But then, at some point, seeing the way things were going at a deeply personal level, I came to realise that too much ‘doing‘ without enough ‘being‘ could also lead to serious burnout and a sense of emptiness.
Feeling this growing need on finding a balance between ‘doing‘ and ‘being‘, I have been prioritizing mindfulness and self-awareness, for the past few years and then, throughout January, this came to be my key focus area, given that I had settled on my ‘word of the year or #woty as it’s commonly referred to..
Frankly speaking, having a #woty made it easier for me to keep a constant check on how I was showing up.
Over the past 5+ weeks, since the new year, I embraced a few things that ensured I continued on my path, defined by my #woty:
Acceptance
It was tough, but I’ve been learning to embrace my flaws and the many imperfections within myself, and simply allowing myself to ‘be‘, just as I am, even if that no longer fits with another person’s idea of who I ought to be. This has been challenging, but totally worth it. Not striving to be better or more efficient, (as I’m prone to do!) was equally tough, but I had to let go of the need to do so. Thankfully, I’m better at it now, than I was in the early days.
Increased Self Awareness
Mindfulness and meditation is an integral part of my daily routine now. Switching off from the digital world ever so often and living in the ‘slow lane’ has been extremely therapeutic. I did start practising this towards the end of 2024, and even though work mandates that I stay on social media, I am no longer active on it, as I used to be—which has greatly helped me bring self-reflection and self-awareness to my everyday actions. I’m seeing myself in a new light, with all my flaws, shotcomings and weaknesses, and I’m curious to see how I fare over time, as I delayer myself and discover new insights!
Sometimes, this happens through journalling, at other times, talking with a close friend or simply taking a walk in nature! The goal has been to create space to reflect on my values, goals, and purpose and spending time alone, which I absolutely love to do anyway.
Prioritising Wellbeing
For someone like me, who lives by the ‘To-Do’ list, it was never easy to ignore the call of duty (never ending, really!) and grab me-time to rest and rejuvenate. In May 2024, I gifted myself a two-day retreat for women on my birthday, which was all about ‘Dance and Movement Therapy for Emotional Healing‘. This was the first time that I had gifted anything to myself and it was not a commodity, but an experience. I absolutely loved the experience of meeting total strangers, spending two whole days with them—all of us sharing our fears, hopes, dreams and challenges in a safe, totally non-judgemental space—an experience that turned out to be extremely therapeutic and cathartic for me.
I’ve also learned to recognize the need for rest and rejuvenation as essential, in order to maintain a healthy “being” state.
Making Ethical Choices
In these 5 weeks, I’m also learning to evaluate the impact of my “doing” not just on myself but others too.
There are times, when we take certain unpleasant decisions that make us uncomfortable—these have always made me guilty earlier, especially if they clashed with the expectations that others have had of me. Now, I choose them anyway, because there is a process that goes behind my choice to do or not do something.
I’m realising that if I am to ‘be‘ my truest self—and unapologetically myself—I must be comfortable with my choices and decisions. Hence, the focus has been on making conscious choices aligned with my “being“. Not always easy, as they say, but I’m getting there, one step at a time.
What I’m most loving about ‘being‘ so far—is how it’s making me focus on presence, on ‘being in the moment‘, not on ‘becoming‘ something or someone. That in itself, has been the best outcome.
I will continue to share my journey here, as time progresses, alongside the challenges, that I shall be facing and I’m sure there will be many! So, do watch this space, if this is something that interests you. Likewise, if you too, are living out your life, drawn and inspired by your #woty, then please do share your experiences in the comments below. I’d love to know your thoughts and experiences on it.
Signing off with the promise to see you all again, soon!