The Only Thing I'm Certain Of

It’s "spring," and over the last 36 hours, we’ve had a blizzard dump about 8 inches of snow on what had previously been a nearly snow-free landscape. As I write, giant, fluffy snowflakes are still falling. I’m so disgusted with it, I have tucked myself under the covers in my bed (which is next to my writing desk), so I am facing away from the window, and turned on the heated blanket (which I had hoped I would be removing soon). Hrumph.

I’m having intense hermit feelings, of which the snow is only one factor among many. Outside the actual climate I live in, the political climate is causing no end of reasons to feel anxious. I don’t know about you, but the mood in my corner of the world is one of quiet, ever-increasing alarm. People are reconsidering their travel plans and changing their spending habits. They’re worried about the immediate and trickle-down effects of political decisions and their impacts on their jobs. They feel a daily burden of endless anxiety-inducing headlines.

The overwhelming theme is uncertainty. 

Everyone I speak to (myself included) is having difficulty feeling motivated to do much of anything. A general malaise has settled over everything, adding extra weight to the usual responsibilities and tasks of daily life. 

As a productivity consultant, I’m seeing it with my clients. As a human, I’m experiencing it in my own day-to-day.

I’m kind of hoping there is a magical doorway in my dressing room to a place where it only snows at Christmas, the sun is shining, the grass is green, and my beloved bourbon is available 😆. I joke, but goodness, there have been days like today where things feel rough, and I’m only experiencing minor inconveniences with a side of generalized anxiety. Never mind the millions of people whose entire lives are getting upended. 

I’ve been reflecting on the swirl of emotions and searching for a way to process them in a way that doesn’t involve moving to a cabin in the wilderness (I like hot showers too much to fully commit). I keep reminding myself that uncertainty is the universal state of things. We all make assumptions about our place in the world and the stability of various facets of our lives when the only guarantee in life is change. 

In truth, very few things are certain. And remembering that is actually kind of freeing.

It’s hard not to feel like things are worse now than they’ve been in the past. I’m not convinced that’s true. Don’t get me wrong; things are pretty bad, but I’m not here to rank world calamities - there are too many to choose from! I suppose I’m here to remind you (and myself) that things are as they ever were, just with today’s flavour (unfortunately, the current flavour is akin to Buckley’s cough syrup but without the feel-good benefits 🤢). 

Knowing that things are always uncertain means we can let go of some of the extra weight. We can instead embrace that uncertainty, knowing some things will be bad, some will be good, and all we can do is our best each day. 

And I will tell you what I am certain of: Regardless of what’s happening in the rest of the world, we have choices about how we show up each day.

We can choose where we get our information, what we consume, what we participate in, whom we support, and how we spend our money. We can choose the language we use and how we use it. We can choose to be understanding and kind. 

We can choose to exist in the uncertainty while looking for as much joy as there is to be found. No toxic positivity, the range of feelings is real, but rather an effort to keep going and appreciate the things that are working, the things that are good. 

We can choose to spend time with the people who matter, doing things that make us smile, and try to let go of the rest.

I can’t change what’s happening in the world any more than I can stop the snow from falling (and the likelihood of more snow is high). But I will do my best to choose how I show up, do what I can each day, love the people I love, and enjoy the things I enjoy.

I hope you can too.

(If I find that magical doorway in my dressing room, I’ll let you know. 😉)

In the meantime, if you need some help to find your motivation, focus, or remember what matters most, here are a few places to start:

• 8 Ways To Help You Get Motivated When You Aren't Feeling It
• What Motivates You? Learn the Types of Motivation and How to Use Them
• How To Redefine What It Means To Waste Time
• In a World Full Of Distractions, How Do You Get Your Focus Back?

If you need some help living in the uncertainty, book a chat! I would love to help.