Changing in 40 Days and 40 Nights

Day 40 of lock-down and I am reminded that if I was Catholic, I would have completed Lent! 40 days of giving up of something. In our case the freedom of movement. Think about that for a while. Let it “soak in”.

There is so much that has changed for all of us in these past 40 days! Some of us have been fortunate enough to retain our jobs and are working from home. Work hours has been cut for some and so too their salaries. And for others they have been “let go” or been put on “temporary furlough” without compensation. Schools have closed and parents are forced to do home schooling. We no longer have freedom of movement and even social gatherings with our own families are no longer allowed. These are just a few examples of how things changed exactly 40 days ago and that with one speech from our President.

How are you coping with this “change” that has been forced upon you? What runs through your mind when you close your eyes at night?

Prior to lock-down some of us had “habits” that we were considering changing. Have you been able to do anything about it? I was going to have a “better” morning routine, as I felt that I was not utilizing my time effectively. Jason used to leave for work by 05h00 every morning. I would get up, hit the gym and have a protein filled breakfast before heading out to work. Great start to ones’ day right? Well, in my case, I felt and still feel, that something is missing! My intention was to add in meditation and reflection, together with “conscious” practising of gratitude. The intention is still there, but the action has not happened. They say it takes 66 days to form a new habit. Had I started on day 1 of lock-down I would have been more than halfway through the forming of my new habit, which would now have almost been a part of my DNA! Reading that, I am disappointed in myself, however I now have the awareness which will help me make the change.

I am reminded of how I always struggled with an exercise routine, until I found a Biokineticist to walk my journey with me. For 3 months, we exercised together and she held me accountable. That to me made all the difference! I had an “accountability partner”, who measured and weighed me and when things did not go according to plan, we made adjustments, but we always moved forward.

Change and forming of new habits is hard! And when you are doing it on your own it is even harder! Not all of us have strong mindsets to “just get on with it”. I am one of those people! I do however have the awareness and that makes the difference!

Are you in need of an “accountability partner” to help you with a habit that is doing more harm than good? Do you need someone to help you to adapt with the changes that have been forced upon you, bridging the gap to where you are now to where you would like to be?

These are just a few questions I would like you to think about.

Until next time.

Love, light and positive change

Ophelia