Soundtrack of my Life – Entry 41 – “Wild Child” by Enya – D.A. Henneman

It’s unbelievable that I made it this far into the Soundtrack of my Life without this song. I could about guarantee my kids feel the same about their own Soundtrack as well since because it played on repeat in my flower shop days. Basically, all of her albums did. Enya has the type of music that is soothing without being in your face, and can get me into a calmed state in a matter of a few songs. She was my go-to when I was stressed, tired, and still had 30 orders to arrange before I left after an already long day. I had all but forgotten her until I had to dive into doing my taxes… then it was all hands-on deck. Enya’s shuffled melodies played via my home speaker, and all-of-a-sudden my goals seemed achievable. Obtainable. I am happy to report my paperwork was filed, my office “reset”, and I am officially on to my next project(s).

It got me thinking about the various tools that I use anytime I need a mental shift and I decided that I would create a checklist for the days when I need an adjustment, but my “go-tos” aren’t coming to me. Similar to what I did with the Enya soundtrack, sometimes I just need a reminder of the things that have worked and I thought this list would get me heading in the right direction if I hit a roadblock.

This idea is not original and, I would add, came to me after hearing a few podcasts by Becca Syme about her “Stuck List.” If you don’t subscribe to free Patreon or follow her on social and are a writer, I highly recommend you do. She gives amazing free advice, and I found her especially helpful during my crippling burnout. You can find all the links to her stuff below, and she has a free download right now on this specific topic if you head to her website here: https://betterfasteracademy.com/stucklist/.

I’m not lazy, nor am I a chronic procrastinator, even though for years I thought I was. I’m finding out, as I think about my behavior and triggers, that what I thought was procrastination was merely how I process things (Hello… top 5 Clifton Strengths). However, I sometimes lack the motivation to start something when I am feeling overwhelmed, as I’m sure many of you can relate to. I mean, when you have a ton on your plate, are you really going to add one more thing AND clean your house? Just me? Alrighty then… moving on.

For me personally, I notice the lack of forward motion when I don’t fully understand something (My #1 is Intellection, btw). Heading into the unknown, taking a leap of faith, diving in (insert your figurative expression here) is not something I’ve never been comfortable with. Embracing the Journey is challenging for me, since I like to have a map when I’m traveling, so being present isn’t always comfortable. Living in the moment is chaotic, disorganized, unpredictable, but is also when I experience my most memorable moments. What I’ve been slow to realize is that my fear comes from a lack of trust in myself or those around me, which is something I’m learning to navigate.

Becca’s worksheet is on my to-do list since it is a little more involved than I would like to get for this post, but I believe the insight will be invaluable to me. In the meantime, I have come up with a short list of things that have gotten me through a rough patch, out of a writing funk, and back onto the keyboard. I also thought long and hard about situations I didn’t finish as quickly as I would like to and what the holdup was on things like finishing my office, doing my taxes, even working in my yard. Here is the start to my “stuck list” as Becca calls it:

Get off Social Media – AKA Unplug!
Have a meal/chat with friends
Visit with my family
Straighten/Clean my Office or Workspace – I think of this as a “reboot”
Light a candle or incense
Play Soothing Music or Nature Sounds (Here is where Enya comes in)
Work in the yard/gardening (I think of this as Grounding)
Write it down (Doesn’t always have to be creative, I use blogging for this as well)
Finish something (more on this below)

Finish something is my least favorite, however, is typically the most helpful when I’m stuck. I tend to take on more than I can handle and then, while juggling what I have, the outside forces toss more balls/pins/plates (bananas) at me to incorporate into my flow. When I was younger, I managed to do it with a little more grace and patience (perhaps only in my imagination). But I’m telling you what, not anymore. There is a combination of age, fewer hormones, and I-don’t-care-itis going on that is not a pretty combination. I mean… for me; it is fine. I’m learning to adjust. But for those around me… I’m sorry, lol.

Anyway, the overwhelm starts up way sooner than it used to, so I am learning to say no, but also learning that sometimes things don’t take as long as I think. Bottom line, I should just get them off my plate. I am always glad I did, opening up that bandwidth is priceless. I would also add that I’m learning it is okay not to finish something that no longer serves you, wasn’t yours to begin with, or that was never important enough to finish in the first place. Holy smokes, Batman… that realization was a game changer!

I want to thank Enya for helping me with my taxes and overwhelm this year, and to let her know I would be open to an invitation to stay at Manderley Castle any time she would like to extend it. I would happily find a corner somewhere to write all day, and she would hardly know I was there… unless she wanted to bounce some new ideas off of me, then I would be all ears! Who else anxiously awaiting her next project release? What is your favorite song of hers? Let me know in the comments below!

As always, thank you for sharing this journey with me, and for taking the time out of your day to read my thoughts. It means a lot. For anyone interested in my writing please feel free to stay awhile and poke around on my website. I have a ton of content I’ve been developing over the years and I would love to get your thoughts on it.

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