A Change is as good as a Rest
Where are you in your journey? Life as a journey is a familiar metaphor. But how much have you thought about it? Are you prepared? Do you have the right equipment with you? Are you surrounded by enriching travel companions? Do you know where you are going? Do you know why you are heading in that direction? And are you enjoying the ride?
If we don’t set the agenda for our lives, then we can easily fall into the expectations of others (veering off our path towards something we don’t want) or we stagnate and go round in circles on the path as we watch others stride purposefully by.
There is wisdom in taking time out to consider these big life questions. You are not wasting time by taking stock and thinking of yourself, your direction and quality of life. You are investing in your one precious life! When people pause to take a life audit, it can bring so many benefits that lead to lasting transformation. As we see in the rhythm of our day and the rhythm of our week, it is inherent in our design to need rest. We cannot go without sleep and we know the mental and physical health benefits of rest. It is not weakness to change our rhythms throughout the days, weeks and seasons. In fact, take the physical example of muscle building. The growth of the muscles happens during the periods of rest. The muscle memory knows it must increase to prepare for the next session of work. Continuous work brings physical damage, which all the top athletes understand. Rest is part of a good healthy programme – it is not stopping the work; it is part of it. So rest is part of a healthy journey in life in much the same way. We are not ‘checking out’ but we are fuelling and focusing for the next stage when we rest. Nothing must take the place of true rest in our lives, but a change is as good as a rest.
So what is it about a change that brings the benefits that rest can too? This phrase carries the assumption that the inevitable boredom of a repetitive, unstimulating routine takes more effort than introducing variety into your daily or weekly routine. The brain is looking for short-cuts and ways to be efficient, so having the same routine is beneficial for our certainty need – but not for our variety need. Our variety need looks for a way out of the routine when we deem it to be monotonous and boring. Our variety need shows up when we feel heavy about doing the ‘same old thing’ rather than feeling comforted by ‘my usual Friday night habit’. We need to craft our lives with the right amount of certainty and variety; and in the right areas that bring us joy and productivity. Routine brings stability. Monotony brings restlessness.
To introduce a change in your life to boost your energy or productivity ‘to try something new’ is not the same as change for the sake of change – a need to be relevant with fast-paced changes of culture. Granted, we do not enjoy the feeling of being left behind. But how much are we moved along on the current of popular thinking that unless you change regularly then you are old-school, boring and irrelevant? Fashion, hair styles, always the latest trend on social media. There is a huge amount of positive variety and diversity in the world which has healthy energy. Let’s be mindful of where the motivation for change is coming from and notice whether our energy is rising or falling when we think about change. There is a big difference between changing your morning routine because you notice it sets you up for the day in a much more positive manner; and changing your morning routine because you think your colleagues at the office look down on you because your morning routine doesn’t start at 5am!
Also let’s check in with ourselves if we struggle with focus and commitment. Chopping and changing and seeking lots of variety for the sake of it is different from consciously and authentically choosing a different path for well thought-out, congruent reasons. Change that is as good as a rest will be apparent when your change brings peace, purpose and joy. If you change to please others or because you cannot decide what your path is, then deeper work is required. Take the time to consider your path, change what is not serving you and move towards changes that boost your energy and contribution.
We must admit there are risks that come from choosing change. The challenge is to assess the risk of not changing. What do I lose if I don’t seek the change I instinctively know I want to? Where can I get support to change? What are the benefits waiting for me as I implement this change?
Transformational Questions:
· What boosts my energy in a life-giving way?
· How can I bring one more energy boost into my routine?
· What drains my energy?
· What do I want to stop that is draining my energy?
· What one step can I take to bring healthy variety into my day?
If you would like to explore this further in a coaching context please contact Anna at digdeepdreambig@gmail.com
