Author: thedailygemm

The goal of a routine

If you’re doing the same set of activities on a regularly basis over time it’ll become part of your routine.

It’ll be set into your subconscious to the point where you go from start to finish with little to no thought in between.

That saves you a lot of energy because you’re no longer having to think about what to do next.

Sometimes when we take a break and spend our time differently, the routine that was so ingrained in us falls away.

All of a sudden the thing you once did at the exact same time each day doesn’t get done at all or you end up doing it hours later than you usually would.

Once the break is over the old routine (if implemented well for a long enough period of time) will fall back into place, almost as though it never left, that’s the kind of result I aim for with the routines I implement into my life.

It’s almost like how people say you don’t forget how to ride a bike, except routines can be forgotten if you step away from them for long enough.

Quitting

If you feel discouraged with where you’re at you have two options.

The first is to quit and the second is to stick at it.

Whichever option you choose commit to it wholeheartedly.

If you think about it, there really isn’t much point going after your dreams (or the thing that you’re telling everyone is your dream) if you can’t even be bothered to give it your all.

People don’t often talk about quitting or deciding that they don’t want to proceed with the thing they have been working on.

I used to think that quitting was a bad thing, that it meant you were giving up, that you didn’t try hard enough and so on.

But with age and I suppose also experience I’ve come to realise that there are times when quitting is necessary.

Not everything that you try is going to work out, not everything you do will be a success.

And so you have to know when to quit because sometimes in quitting and closing the door to one thing you allow yourself to open up to something else.

Effects of choosing kindness

You have the choice to treat people however you like and sometimes that will depend on how much you care.

Small acts of kindness can allow you to escape your own mind for long enough to remember that we’ve all got stuff going on.

Without knowing it, sometimes the kindness of strangers can be enough to change someone’s mood or brighten their day.

It doesn’t have to be something big, it could be as small as making someone a drink or picking something up that you thought they’d like when you’re out shopping.

In order to do those things you have to get out of your head a little and pay attention to what’s around you. In some ways kindness is about not being bare minimum.

You do it because you want to, not because you have to.

When you don’t have anyone to talk to

Through this blog you may have read the phrase ‘talking helps’ at least once or twice.

I’m an advocate for talking because it is something that has changed my life and I think it’s something that at time is overlooked.

As much as I can advocate for people to talk more, the truth is not everyone has someone they can talk to.

Perhaps you don’t have any friends, you’re scared to open up to a family member, you can’t afford a therapist/counselling or you’re on a GP waiting list that could take over 6 months.

Talking might not solve the issue but being able to get things off your chest can work wonders for your well-being.

There’s a free service called Samaritans that you can use to call, email, write a letter or even visit in person to talk face to face. They’re available in various countries around the world including America, UK and Australia

Samaritans is a registered charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or at risk of suicide…

You don’t have to wait until you’re on the edge and life is getting to be too much, in fact you shouldn’t. Personally over the past year in particular I’ve found that talking about things more in general stops things becoming so overwhelming.

I think it’s lovely that these kinds of free services exist and I wanted to share it with you because it might be helpful for you or to pass on to someone you know.

 

The lazy dreamer

Dreamers have high aspirations but the gap between where they are and where they want to be is vast.

Dreamers aren’t always good at bridging the gap because of the qualities they hold.

They’re ideas people but when it comes to getting things done they often fall short.

Think about what it’s like to dream. Your mind is full of vivid pictures and voices that feel real yet they aren’t actualized in common reality.

In order to make things happen to the highest potential, dreamers must also be doers (the kinds of people that get things done). If doing doesn’t come naturally to you it’ll be a useful thing to learn.

Office work and acting

Things get much more interesting if we think of ourselves as actors.

Something I’ve learnt is that people probably aren’t going to go above and beyond for you. But if you practice confidence and you make yourself visible you’re more likely to get your needs met.

It’s like actors in a show. The main character will always get more attention than the one that just plays a minor role. And in the workplace you get to choose which role you play.

Of course it’s not easy putting yourself in the main role whereas it’s as easy as cherry pie to take the role of a background character.

When you play in the background there’s little expectation, you don’t get much attention and if you don’t show up nobody cares.

So, what happens when the background character wants more responsibility and the opportunity to show up and actually do something that matters, like a main character.

Turns out you can’t have it both ways.

Job satisfaction

Let’s delve into a topic that matters. But first cue the music *plays satisfaction by the rolling stones*.

If someone asked the question of what would make you happier in your current job, what would you say?

If the answer is more money, think again, think about the job itself.

Some possible answers could be:
To be less stressed
Work less hours
To feel more connected to the people you work with
To work on more interesting projects
To learn a software or a new skill
To have a manager that’s helpful
To feel heard
To be recognised for the work you do
To feel valued

Some of these could probably apply to life in general and I’m guessing the same could be said for whatever is on your list too.

A lot of us settle when it comes to what we do for a living then get surprised that we’re unsatisfied.

If you decided to work in healthcare because you were taught it was a good stable job and you got scared into believing that an ‘unstable’ job would be too risky, sure you might grow to like what you do but you also might not.

If you make choices based on the belief that you can’t get the things you actually want, well then you’re probably not going to get them.

Now let’s get back the list and against each point write down what you can do to make them happen. And what you will do if there’s any pushback.

After a month or so you’ll probably notice some changes in how you feel about your job.

If not you can always get a new one.

You don’t have to grin and bear it.