Mobility is a beautiful thing.
Physical, social, or intellectual
Being able to move, to be fluid, to progress.
To change.
To choose.
To feel the power and joy of moving, reaching, stretching, walking, growing.
Last week I lost my physical mobility for a few days after overdoing it with house and yard work, party prep, high heat, and too much fun with dancing on the patio in bare feet. My foot screamed at me with redness, swelling and inability to bear weight. Pierre dug out the crutches from my injury of a few years back. My arms and wrists yelled at me as I tried to use the crutches. There was so much to do, I needed to push, push, push.
But my body was telling me to rest, to ice, to elevate.
To reflect and regroup.
I realized how much I’d been unbalanced and immobile by choice – sitting at the computer writing and not taking time to walk, to exercise, to strengthen core, upper body, and those big muscles to support my hips, knees and feet. I was surprised at how much strength I’d lost. Obviously my body is telling me it’s time to change my habits if I want to preserve mobility.
My mental mobility has been in a holding pattern rather than a progress pattern. So many ideas swirling and energy from reconnecting that I can easily get overwhelmed with indecisiveness and all the possibilities!
I lose touch with what my intentions are. My focus gets scattered, easily attracted to the next shiny thing. I notice that I feel bone tired and weary. What do I want to do? What really matters?
It’s time for a self-directed learners mid-year mid course self-reflection and course correction.
Self-directed Learners Mid-year Mobility Check
The long days of sunshine coinciding with summer solstice, half way from the start of the year, are good for taking a break and reflecting.
Reconnecting with yourself. Looking at how far you have come since the beginning of the year (or new project) Checking that your direction and focus now are what you want them to be.
Here are some questions to spark your mid-year mobility check:
What is your situation? How is your mobility – mental or physical?
Have you been journaling?
Did you set intentions and goals back in January?
Review them. Where are you now, compared to where you said you wanted to head.
Are you on course?
What are you proud of accomplishing?
What are you grateful for?
Do you want to set a new destination? Or keep going on the path you charted?
What about the rest of the year?
Think about just the next 90 days – what project do you want to take on?
What do you want to create?
What new learning will that require?
What resources will you need?
What support do you have?
Have you accounted for rest? For rejuvenation? For reflecting?
For creativity? For joy?
How can you increase your mobility?
How can you make movement, of all kinds happen or possible for you?
What would increased mobility look like for you – even if it is different than you ever imagined before, different from previous mobility you may have experienced?
Is there a way to find ease instead of doing what you used to do harder? What could that look like?
What new things could you try?
What changes could you make?
What innovations could you welcome?
How can you receive or create support if you need some? Is it a crutch, a wheelchair, a shoulder to lean on, a hand up – physical or metaphorical?
What support can you ask for? Who can you ask?
What could you learn?
Who could you serve? How could you contribute to humanity?
Sometimes switching the focus from our needs to how we can contribute to a greater good can open up new possibilities for meeting our own needs and increasing our learning.
Are you feeling stuck?
Where is the sticking point?
Is it about pain? Energy? Time? Money?Fear?
Confusion about next best steps?
Stepping away to sort out why you are stuck can help with clarity about what actions to take. Changing up your environment and making some type of movement of mind or body can break the pattern of feeling stuck.
If a big vacation isn’t in the cards for you in the next month or 6 months, how can you create and schedule in mini-vacations or long weekends?
How about daily breaks and moments of rest and paying close attention to what you love to sustain you?
I use my daily mindful moments or gratitude in the garden to be present and look closely. Taking a photo helps me to focus and breathe and appreciate the moment. And I can head back to the project I am working on with a sense of accomplishment and appreciation that I have work to do.
A new thing I’m trying is taking a five minute walk while listening to a recording of Buddhist chanting. The deep breathing while listening for just 5 minutes makes a difference in the rest of my day. It replaces the tape in my brain saying, ” there’s too much to do. I’m not getting enough done.”
Reflection and Mid-course Correction.
Maybe tiny steps can get you going again.
Over to you:
What new thing could you try? Just for fun or as a means to making progress?
What is one thing you could do right now?
What will you do?
I’d love to know! Leave a comment or snap a photo and post it on twitter or instagram with #asktrydo