Time to Reframe

 I love new beginnings or continuations that feel like fresh starts.  I recently celebrated my 52nd birthday, and as I set off on another trip around the sun, it felt like the perfect opportunity to reflect on where I find myself these days.

What has been standing out for me lately has been the shift in my thinking around some of the goals I am working towards.  I have a few big ones lying ahead of me, namely the Chicago Marathon, some upcoming gigs with a band I have joined, and some writing goals that excite me.  What I have been noticing lately is hesitation around the work involved in reaching these goals.  I have felt internal resistance towards practicing, training and even putting pen to paper at times.  It is not that these goals have become less important or I have changed my mind about wanting to achieve them.  And I have not lost interest or appreciation for these endeavours.  So what has caused these roadblocks to be erected?

I realized that I had made an unconscious shift in my mind about the purpose or focus of the work I was doing, or needed to do.  I had classified it simply as work and had removed the aspect of fun and wonder from the equation.  Looking at it from that point of view, it is no wonder that these pursuits were starting to feel like chores instead of hobbies.  My focus had shifted from the journey to the destination and as a result, I had started to lose sight of the joy that these activities provided me.  

Time to reframe and reignite the passion that I know exists within these pursuits.

Considering that most of us have busy days and lives, it is important to ensure that we can maintain a sense of enjoyment or wonder when we put time and energy into our hobbies.  Doing simply for the sake of doing is not frivolous, and can actually help to recharge our batteries.  Losing ourselves in doodling, noodling on a keyboard, or knitting a few rows of a scarf can be the magic that we need to return to our regularly scheduled lives with more enthusiasm and focus.  And maybe we will not create a masterpiece that is hung on an art gallery wall, or write a song that is picked up by an artist and turned into a hit, and maybe that scarf we are picking away at will be worn NEXT winter.  The outcomes of our pursuits need to be reframed to be secondary to the activities themselves. 

Nothing like starting a new year with new work!  And this absolutely is work for me - I will be the first to admit that I have a very difficult time admiring the work I am doing as more than just steps towards a bigger goal.  Separating the two so I can equally celebrate the work and the result feels like just what I need, and also like something that I will need to remind myself of as I slip into old habits.  Learning to appreciate the journey on my way to the outcome is a lesson that feels like its time has arrived. 

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