This week was about ending one routine, trying new things, and honestly, just surviving. After two weeks of being at the barn daily to ride two horses and sticking to a tight schedule, so I could return home and begin client work in the afternoons, I found myself with more free time this week. In a way, it was a positive, as I’ve now been nursing a painful pinched nerve in my neck. But in another way, the downtime reminded me that even though I’m still mourning a loss, I have to figure out my life and the next chapter.
I recently saw a great quote on Instagram about telling yourself you’re being lazy when you are really burnt out from being in survival mode, and it hit home. While I can’t say this was one of my most productive weeks, I had the kind of week my mind and body needed with a loose schedule, good company, and the mindset that I could rearrange my day how I wanted.
That mindset led me to be sporadic and see not one but two movies in the theater on a random Wednesday. Not only have I not been out to see a movie in a while, but I also have never seen two in one day. It led me to try a new restaurant that I’d wanted to dine at, and it gave me the courage to pop in at 8 pm sans reservation. The most surprising thing was that by not having a strict schedule this week, it fueled me to tackle some not-so-fun adulting tasks I had been neglecting.
Basically, by allowing myself to do anything I wanted and not focusing on the narrative I was telling myself, I ended up doing a lot of things I needed to in the process. So, let this be your permission slip to use your time how you like (within reason, of course). Instead of focusing on all of the things you “should” be doing, focus on things you “could” be doing that might lead to other personal or professional benefits.
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