How To Get Out Of A Funk & Move Forward In Life (Video)
When I found myself moving back to the city after 6 years of off-and-on travel, I knew in my gut that this was my “Season Of The City.” I have no idea how long it will last. I just know that I will experience more growth by staying here, than I would from continuing to bounce around the world.
In every life, there will come times when you find yourself in a season that you didn’t expect or want.
In order to be able to best navigate this season, instead of wandering aimless through it, it’s useful to reflect on the purpose of this season. After all, it’s no mistake that life has brought you to this situation. It contains gold if you are willing to do the gleaning!
Here are 3 questions to ask yourself to make the most out of your current season of life.
Q: What am I learning in this season/circumstance that I wouldn’t have learned otherwise?
There are personal lessons and practical lessons that are right at your fingertips. The wisdom is just waiting for you to scoop it up!
For me, practical lessons and gifts in this season include working with a team, working with multiple departments, working with a creative director, working with budgets and developing strategy. (with many more to come!)
Personal Lessons can include things like, becoming more resilient, owning your worth and healing the heart. Sure, it might be nice to spend a year working from my laptop on a beach, but does that make me more arrogant and self-centred or more humble and generous? Who do I want to be? I had to ask myself this tough question and face the reality of what I was promoting. I knew there was more personal growth available to me in the city, than from bouncing around the planet.
Q: When I look back on this season from the other side, what will I wish I had done or become?
Consider all your options. Every season of life is unique and you will never get it back. Raising a child will one day come to an end. Being an executive will one day end. Running a company will one day end. Every season has it’s benefits. Don’t let all the advantages of this season get lost in the disadvantages. Dig deep and find the best version of who you could be.
If you find yourself currently at home with children, how can you be the absolute best parent possible?
If you find yourself in a job, how can you become your best self?
If you find yourself unemployed, what’s something you’ve always wanted to do?
When I look at my current “Season In The City,” I know that I don’t want to escape early. I want to look back and feel like, Yes, I finished that assignment. I didn’t jump ship because the going got tough. I figured out how to excel and contribute to the absolute best of my capabilities through all of the challenges. I want to know that I did my best to make a positive difference in the lives of the people life has brought me. I want to know that I used my time here wisely, to do the things I love and maximize the opportunities here (LINKKK blessing of routine). For me it’s meant doing things like signing up dance classes (an impossible thing when you’re in the middle of Africa).
Q: What is the season that my soul wants to transition into?
The Feeling of Being “stuck” is often a sign that part of you is ready to move on, while another part of you is resisting. In order to release the stickiness, lean into your future self and take a look into who you want to be.
For me, this meant that I had to face the fact that I’m entering into my late twenties. I spent most of my twenties travelling. While I loved every minute of it and there is a part of me that would love to keep traveling, I feel deep in my soul that there is an “adult” part of me that wants to be birthed. As a 20-something traveling the world, I used to view myself as a girl on a mission. The word “woman” felt strange on me. I loved my wonder-filled, wide-eyes sense of infinite possibilities. Being a “woman" entailed maturity, responsibility, and a weight I didn’t feel ready to take ok. In my current season, I’ve embraced the fact that I am no longer a “girl.” As I've settled into my life in the city, I also allowed myself to become a woman. In the past, I valued my youth. Now I’ve come to value all the gifts of being a woman and an adult. I want to keep the gifts of adventure and freedom that my twenties have brought me so far, while becoming someone who knows her worth and is empowered to contribute. I feel more self-aware, integrated and clear-sighted.
Name The Season
Once you’ve thoroughly answered these questions, you’ve got a roadmap for how to best navigate your current season. I’d encourage you to reflect on these questions every quarter or at least every six month. You’ll notice that the focus will shift, as you keep growing.
A Note about Timing
As you go through this process of unpacking your life situation, it can bring up feelings of inadequacy. The goal here is growth, and the marker of progress is wherever you were last year or five years ago. Don’t compare your journey to someone else's. Everyone progresses at their own rate, and just become someone is outwardly successful, doesn’t mean that they’ve done the inner work to be more whole, compassionate and kind. And vice versa.
I love reflecting on these questions because it’s how I can see that personal, spiritual and professional progress, and where I want to make even more progress.
