Gagging For A Break
I’m just about to take my Summer break and I have to say, I’m gagging for it!
I’m actually feeling pretty pooped, as I’ve been full-on for most of this year, with few breaks to boost my energy.
I’ve clearly been running on my reserve tank over the past few weeks and so the break has come at a good time.
I’m not complaining, it was by choice, and now
After the effort, comes the reward
In my case, that means
peace, quiet, rest, mental detox, sleep (that’s the difficult one),
exercise, and positive thinking and writing
When you slow down, this can be an ideal time to take stock of what you’ve been up to over the past months. Time to deal with a few urgent items on that TO-DO list.
Getting Back My Focus
I feel I need to be more focused in life once I get back up to running speed in the coming few weeks. I’ve allowed myself to become somewhat dispersed in recent times. That is one of my faults that I have to correct now and again. However, I love it when my mind is racing. But the brain can only take so much. Brain-farts are generally an early-warning sign.
The peace will be more than welcome. I like to be occupied and to be of service to people. However, knowing that I’ll be spending several weeks with no one asking me this or that (apart from the kids of course), then I’ll be able to dedicate more time to plans for the family, for the business, for life in general.
Quiet & Rest: this has always been a toughy for me. I rarely switch off and spend most of my time thinking about various stuff going on in my life. I generally bop till I drop and then have to spend the start of my holiday trying to adapt to a slower rhythm.
Mental de-tox: you’ll probably agree that one tends to take on more than the brain is designed to handle. The mental overload can kick in now and again. The juggling act can take a serious knock and one or two balls may get dropped. Hopefully, I’ll be able to pick them up without the audience noticing (-ish).
Control: Coming to terms with what we are able to control and what is beyond our control, is another difficult aspect of life. It is a constant learning curve, requires constant attention and can be a recurring battle.
I sometimes remind myself:
“Come on Nick!
You’ve already concluded that such-and-such a thing was well beyond your control.
Drop it! Will you ever learn?’
Sometimes, listening to that inner voice can be a good thing.
Sleep: this is also a tough one for me. I haven’t had a lie-in for yonks. When I do, it’s generally because I’m in severe sleep deficit. Screens, screens, screens. I know! It’s not good for the kids to spend time on screens just before going to sleep and yet…..I’m also guilty of it. I do tend to go to bed late and get up early. This is where I accumulate the sleep deficit until my body can no more. Sleep is work-in-progress for me. I’ll be taking the odd nap to play catch up.
Exercise: Over recent years, let’s say 3-4, I’ve been fairly consistent with my exercise. Walking in the morning has become a ritual. I’ve managed to keep this up to the extent that if I do nothing, I actually feel guilty, frustrated, and physically deprived. Some may say that is not healthy for the mind, but I believe that exercise contributes enormously to my mental health. That justifies why I must do it. If I don’t walk, then I’ll take the bike. I’ve managed to discipline myself to run twice a week. Any more than that is a definite bonus.
I am by no means athletic, but consider that exercise is a great time to evacuate stress, empty my head or mull over my options to find a solution for any ‘obstacle’ that may be getting in my way. I try to fit exercise into my daily routine.
Positive thinking: this requires constant effort and nurturing. Especially in a world where there is so much happening simultaneously. However, I will always remain a realist and much prefer the brutal truth to the sugar-coated half-truths that are peddled in certain circles. That said, POSITIVE must win the day, so here’s to positive thoughts and seeing that glass half-full!!!
Go-To Remedies
My Go-to remedies of late, are listening to some of the following people:
Bob Proctor & Jim Rohn, who I absolutely adore for their ‘Tell-it-as-it-is’ almost fatherly approach to motivational speaking.
I’ve been listening to Brian Tracy of late. Check out his video on
‘5 Hacks To Improve Self-Discipline’
I really appreciate some of the new generation motivational speakers such as Simon Sinek, Jay Shetty & Tom Bilyeu. It depends what mood I’m in.
Out Of Nowhere
I’m a massive fan of folk-rock, folk-blues, folk-anything. Check these out :
The Byrds 1965 cover version ‘Turn, Turn, Turn’ (written by Pete Seeger in 1959)
Judy Collins 1968 ‘Both Sides Now’ (written by Joni Mitchell)
Pentangle 1969 cover song ‘Sally Go Round The Roses’ (written by The Jaynetts)
Clannad 1973 cover version of Bonnie Dobson’s ‘Morning Dew’
Dead Horses 2019 song ‘Family Tapes’