I may not respond immediately to you in January. I’m rebooting. I need to do this because I work a LOT. Most of us do but especially small business owners. I choose this small business life intentionally so this is not a vent about my annual reboot. And the thing about a reboot is that you must stop before the restart. Which for me, means practicing stillness.
First, I must make sure I have some physical stillness. I do a 3-day pressed juice fast. I’m still because you don’t have as much as energy when you’re fasting. When I’m managing my energy, I’m naturally reflective and still with my thoughts. Amazingly clarifying thoughts.
I also practice silent stillness. My son has told me I talk for a living– which is true. I also spend a lot of time listening to others talk, both in my work and in my life. My kids bounce off a lot of noise! So, I have to make some quiet for myself. After I drop them off at school, I try to be quiet for as much of the day as I can.
In silence, the remarkable happens. I can hear myself think. Sometimes, that is not always a good thing. Negative thoughts creep in often. I spend a lot of time reframing my thoughts, because your energy is a direct reflection of your thoughts.
Finally, I take a few days off. I silence the email, the meetings, the phone calls. In this pocket of calm, I strategize about how can I be better? How can I be better as a mother? As a better business owner, better with employees and clients? Better in my community?
Obviously, life must go on in January. I don’t do this all at once. I spread out my fast, the silent days, my personal time. For those January working days (and those long working days the rest of the year), I’ve built in small still moments. Before every Zoom, every meeting, every Zoom, every phone call, every focus group — I pause. Close my eyes. Breathe. Check in with my energy. Be still for a moment, then it’s go time.
So, when you do hear back from me (and you will!), you’ll be working with a rebooted Kai. Bringing even better Kai energy to our conversations.
I appreciate you listening to me today. One of my New Year’s intentions is to allow myself to try new things without the worried obsession of how is it going to turn out? This year I am liberating myself from that obsession, which it really stems from fear. Fear is one on the biggest reasons why many ideas do not come to the world. The fear of succeeding, fear of failing. That’s a much different conversation for another time.
But….speaking of intentions
What are some of yours?
Thanks for listening, be well.