by Susan Olivia Smith
and not in that order either.
If I look back on the past 12 months or so, I've found that I've done like most people and tried my best to do well in a job that has been evolving, becoming more pressured and on many occasions uncertain.
Uncertain in that today we do this because this is what works with our customers but tomorrow I may find, at the drop of a hat, that that no longer works for them and there's a need to quickly change direction.
Ever had 15 minutes to simply walk "and smell the roses"? We don’t often get that but if we ever do walk somewhere we, in the main, walk in a straight line. We don’t zig zag. Even climbers don’t do quite as much zig zagging as I have been doing of late.
So, in essence today I am super confident and tomorrow that's all down the drain. I've told myself over and over that this is to do with COVID and it was a nice feeling when I first realised that I was not alone. Many people had huge and growing workloads too and roles that were constantly morphing into something else with customers -whether internal or external driving them.
Those pressures meant that more and more I was doing longer and longer hours. Lately I’ve been thinking about the "return". You know?
-Overtime? Well, no. This didn’t come with that and it is hardly ever my driving force.
-Recognition? Sometimes but not seeing it in something tangible has begun to mean that I don’t always believe when I'm told I'm doing well especially if any returns from my team are also not tangible. I am left guessing and doubting.
At work more and home less? Definitely! And although my husband is super supportive of me and what I do, I'm getting comments from him about my health, home and getting priorities right and he's only saying what I've already started thinking.
-My health is impacted. Physically I'm super tired all the time. Not feeling confident is not a great place to be so I'm working on trying to make sure that mentally I'm where I should be.
I love what I do but I have begun to think about doing something for me where I'm more in control of what happens next. And I will!
There's confidence for you!!
And I know this path can do that. I also have a conversation that I'll be having at work. It may be a difficult one to start with but I'm telling myself if I prepare, it will become an easy one because despite the pressures I am working with some amazing people.
My health. It's little but important things like finding the time to simply drink some water in the day, that I will also do.
Did you know that working out makes you thirsty and if you drink then you will continue to through out the day as long as you have drinks set up and ready?
Well, I'm choosing to workout first thing in the morning and that should mean I'm drinking throughout the day.
I'm also going to have a caffeine-free day at least once a week and build up from there. I know this doesn’t sound like much but imagine (and if you're reading this I think you know what I mean) being super tired every day and so needing to drink coffee throughout.
Do you know I know that that is the other part of the reason I work late? My energy levels are super high after a late coffee so my body doesn’t say go home now and remember, because I’m always tired I don’t get that tired feeling just in the afternoon that tells me to go home.
I may also be iron deficient so I'm building up on that with a gentle week of minerals. The plan is to plan my lunches so well that they are easy to prepare the night before and that I look forward to having them. I used to always have salads but after a while they can be bland especially if you’re using the same ingredients.
So this whole "Life Kick" will need me to take some time to plan meals. My husband does the shopping so it also involves encouraging him to purchase what’s on my list. I think he will though.
He wants to see me more and I'm going to re-join the gym. Yes. I had a membership and stopped. Where was the time to go??? But I'll restart. This one will be the real test. I plan to visit as soon as they open in the morning every weekday until I've increased my energy levels and lost some weight in the right areas. That's quiet a few months.
And this is most difficult. I will cut out sweet products for a bit. Did you know we naturally crave sweet products when we are tired? And it does give a quick energy boost but then it brings you right down and can even lower your mood.
So, wellbeing This encompasses health-physical and mental. I do think that with all of the above I should find this naturally improves. Being tired, losing confidence and eating poorly all combine to add pressure to stay longer to make an impact.
Hence another reason why longer hours become natural but it isn’t though is it? Exercise will grow my energy levels too. I also plan to book myself on a spa break once every six weeks.
So, ordinary ones to get a mani-pedi from a nice establishment and then every 4-6 months a mini break to a hotel spa and I'm going to make sure that I travel once or twice a year if not more.
Wealth And its right that this is last because this is relative. My wealth will first come in the fact that I am healthy all the time. That I am spending more time with family and loving myself. And making a conscious effort to surround myself with people who lift me up rather than those who bring negative energies and can leave me feeling really low after every conversation with them. Truth be known people like that don’t even really notice that you're not communicating this them much because you never really did before.
And if we're talking financial wealth? Well that comes with me making sure I spend wisely and I do. I'll share that one day.
And making sure I evidence my right to own the role I have at work but also accepting nothing is certain so looking into the opportunities I can create myself.
I start today with this blog post and checking out the closest, most luxurious gym to me. :)
If you want to hear more of my journey leave a comment and if you can specify what interests you most. Health, wealth or wellbeing
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