As the last decade draws to a close, take a moment to reflect on where you chose to be productive and where you allowed yourself to take time for pleasure Being busy all the time is actually a trauma response, an avoidance strategy that keeps you disconnected from how you are feeling by ploughing endlessly through to-do lists. I went through such a phase myself some years ago, always looking to improve or work towards some goal and not really allowing myself space to enjoy the ride There’s nothing wrong with having a vision and moving towards it, and your direction in life is certainly worth some careful consideration in the next days as we harness this new moon solar eclipse in Capricorn energy and blast into a new decade. But no amount of productivity can replace the basic human need for enjoyment, connection, relaxation and, indeed, pleasure. It’s not only about reaching a destination. Whenever I’ve tried to make it that, I’ve soon realised the hollowness of achieving, as has many a coaching client who presents with the realisation that no matter how much they succeed, it somehow means nothing A full-bodied experience of life is brought about by savouring each step of the journey, ‘good’ or ‘bad’, for what it brings you, rather than any imagined pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Satisfaction isn’t found in constantly striving towards the new and imagined but in balancing that desire with presence, sensing the depth and meaning in what is available in the now - no matter how many times you may have experienced it before Balancing your wish to be productive with a general sense of pleasure in the process will bring more satisfaction and, indeed, happiness to your daily grind. Planning time into each day for your own pleasure, fulfilling your need for down-time and enjoyment however feels right to you in that moment, will bring you more energy to get where you wish to be Savour the moment deeply - and the next one can bring even more
Happy New Year!