You do you…
I’ve used this phrase quite a bit recently probably too freely and almost definitely flippantly BUT I do mean it. We have to live our lives and make our decisions based on what is right for us. I fully appreciate how hard it can be to do it so I definitely don’t share this view from a place of perfection. It can be hard work to stay in your lane, turn your eyes from comparison or question your beliefs. However, when we do it is SO worth it. Here’s a few things I think can help ‘you do you’..
What’s important to you?
Articulating in as much detail as possible what your non-negotiables are is a strong start for figuring out what is important to you. It could be about who you spend your time with, finances, career and development, self care…absolutely anything. Personal values will also help sort this one out.
Writing it down, talking about it, keeping it in your conscious as much as possible is where we want to start. That way, when we’re making decisions we can firmly remember we make decisions based on what is on our list.
What does success look like for you?
Have you given over any thinking time to this recently? I mean proper decision shaping stuff? I let a corporate world define this answer for me for a long time. I’m definitely not knocking it because I have a lot to be thankful for, but I let a promotions ladder dictate my definition of success more so than my happiness. It’s time to shake off the immediate and obvious answers and check the things that might be more hidden right now. Getting cosy with the bigger picture of what achievement is going to look like for you could be a game changer. Without it we can start to look at other people’s (spoken or unspoken) definition of success and it makes it way harder to stick to what you’re looking for.
What makes you happy and keeps you energised?
It was inevitable that I’d pop this one in really wasn’t it! Being more ‘you’ has to involve doing things that bring you joy. After years of working with people talking about what they love doing, it isn’t as easy as you think to answer. It can take some deep work and clear thinking to unearth what makes our heart sing.
We live in a world that is so information rich and full of people sharing their lifestyles easily through social media. It’s not surprising really that it can become a murky limbo that we find ourselves in. Do you really love doing that particular thing, or is it because it’s the on trend activity to partake in?! What are you putting up with that you want to walk away from? What are you missing that you want to walk towards?
As with the previous questions the answers will be incredibly personal, we’re all unique and whilst there’s plenty of common ground to be enjoyed with friends and family, it’s time to appreciate ourselves and remember how to be more ‘you’.
So now what?
You might (almost definitely will) find some repetition in your answers – that’s ok and intentional. There will be themes to help you spot what your big needs are and potentially even shed some light on why they’re not getting met or why you might be finding it hard to stick with your thoughts and approaches to things.
It’s topical right now because everybody who is anybody has an opinion on how to work from home (myself included, I even wrote a blog post about remote working), how to stay healthy, what home schooling should look like, political persuasions…but the bottom line is this – in a world where we have so many options, information, support and disruptors, the direction that is going to keep us happy and at our best is if YOU DO YOU!
Over and out!
Want to chat? Maybe a monthly newsletter is more your thing? Head to my Contact page and we’ll get you registered.