How can we rock that important meeting when we feel meh/blah?
I’m getting prepared for five interviews tonight.
And the struggle feels real today as I’ve not been feeling that great — physically, emotionally, mentally — over the past few days.
Every part of me wants to change the date.
But then I have this thought.
What if this is exactly how I’m supposed to feel. Like this is a gift in disguise?
How many times do we have something important in life, and we aren’t feeling optimal, well, prepared or otherwise?
Or like the best version of ourselves?
I suspect it is a lot of the time.
So, what do we do?
Focus on the here and now.
It is what it is. Not all days are going to be perfect. When was the last time you had a perfect day? How many do you think you have in a given week, month or year? We are wired to notice what’s missing, so unless we are practising noticing all the things we have, all the things we are here creating, and what we are here to give, and practising energy and/or feel-good habits, rituals or protocol, often these days feel elusive.
Shifting our energy to being prepared for whatever we are committed to is where we can start.
What’s our outcome? Do we know this? Write it down.
And how can we shift our mindset & physiology to suit up, boot up and do the best we can with what life has dealt us?
Shower. Put on some fancy clothes. I like to imagine I’m Donna from Suits.
Shift posture — shoulders back, situ up straight.
Do a 2-minute power pose.
Sit up/stand up straight again. Posture, posture, posture.
And prepare. Rehearse in advance, knowing exactly what we are trying to achieve, and what we are trying to give/add value to. Preparation and competence builds confidence.
Life is about we, not about me, so focus there. Focus on the who we are showing up for. Obsess about their needs, wants and desires.
Showing up builds resilience, honours keeping our word and shows integrity.
The next thing is to figure out if anything happened in the past few days or weeks or ongoing, robbing us of our energy or optimal wellness, aka our ability to produce results and perform.
Looking to the past is useful if we can alter our behaviour to create a better tomorrow.
Change doesn’t have to be scary or hard.
Change doesn’t need to be guilt-driven.
We can start tiny, and before we are ready.
We don’t even need to have the answers. Google, Alexa or Siri can find these.
Instead, what do you think we might need? Questions.
The quality of our lives depends on the quality of the questions we ask ourselves.
Are there things we are often doing that diminish our capacity? Or are causing us not to feel so great?
If we can see we are doing things that are not serving our ability to perform consistently, then those are the places to shift our behaviour.
Meaning, there is no point in trying to do more while there are toxic things going on in our lives robbing us of being our best selves.
Toxic things include:
People
Attitudes
Negativity
Relationships
Diet
Lack of sleep
Lack of exercise
Working weird hours (if this has an impact on sleep, food choices etc.).
Alcohol
The news
TV shows we watch
Other toxic substances (smoking, sugar etc.).
Start here. Start today.
Is there one thing we could REMOVE from our lifestyle that would disproportionately impact our well-being? Energy levels? And consistently be able to show up?
Is there one thing we could ADD to our lifestyle that would disproportionately impact our well-being? Energy levels? And consistently be able to show up?
What’s your reason for it? Reasons reap rewards. Reasons help us refocus and recommit when we no longer feel motivated or like we want to do it.
I’ve decided on three things this week.
1. I am committed and have removed alcohol from my life for the next six weeks. Why? If I’m already not feeling that great, I know this could depress my nervous system and make me feel worse. Also, any toxins need to come out of my liver, and that’s the thing that removes alcohol too. So it means my body will have a chance to clear through any toxins without being under pressure. All upside. Disproportionate returns for zero energy.
2. I am committed to zig/zag eating for 90 days minimum. Six days following an eating plan, one day a week off, with one bonus day free per month. Why? Food is the fuel we need to get stuff done. It’s also the thing I go to something to shift my mood because it does it quickly and easily; however, it is not serving me in the long term. I know when I eat a set way, after only a week, I’ll notice feeling so, so much better — energy-wise, mood-wise, and a shift in my physical body. I also sleep better. I found this great article on ten reasons to quit sugar which could be useful for anyone reading this.
3. I am committed to 1 hour per day minimum of skill development — in Learning & Development specifically — six days per week for ten weeks. Why? I’m working on my certification, and while I’ll have whole immersive days, I realise repetition is the mother of skill, and mastery requires ongoing practice. So would like to make sure I’m doing something each workday that incorporates developing this skill.
