At the start of a new decade, last year I chose to select a word for the year. It was kaizen, meaning “good change.” The year involved many changes and important lessons learned. With a new year dawning, I can say many, many of the changes were good, and it is now time to select a new word. However, in true Anne Marie fashion, I have fulfilled my self-imposed assignment and doubled down by adding a whole poem worth of contextualization. Here we go….
The Word: Balance
In chasing passions and desiring to give 110% in all things coupled with the realization that time never stops and family and personal time are extra precious, I have come to realize the need to take greater ownership and autonomy over my work-life balance. Cliché and classic, but poignant.
Like many, I have found myself extending my workday out of pride for my work, commitment to my team and the ease of working from home. Most days, those extra hours could have been rescheduled to the next few days, but in the moment, I tell myself focusing is the efficient way to finish or that I will rest better once something is done. In order to continue giving my best, I need to rest, recharge and be fully present in my own life. Extra hours are not a badge of honor.
While the inspired solutions and fresh creative ideas will continue to strike while I am in the shower, I will remind myself that project planning and conceptualizing presentations after midnight is not a stellar idea. Turning off one’s work brain is key, but the padlock can be elusive.
One should not have to wait for PTO to rest and recharge. Like our smart devices, this should be a daily occurrence. I have found podcasts to be an engaging tool for my commute and a walk during lunch while working from home to be rewarding. In 2022, I will be on the hunt for additional small and practical actions. I will look for them to be the norm rather than the exception or rare savored treat.
Many say that work-life balance is a myth or that in each season of life, one must choose one or the other. However, I believe each belongs in its own proportion. The challenge is finding what that ratio is and having the flexibility for it to ebb and flow without losing sight of the north star.
Over the year, I will fall on my face, scuff my knee, but twelve months from now, I hope to write that I have found a greater, healthier balance. If any of the thoughts above resonate with you, wouldn’t you join me? Let’s do this together.
Motivation: A Wish & A Prayer for 2022
In that spirit, I wished to share this famous poetic prayer, entitled Falling in Love.[1] While the opening lines are simply beautiful, the tangible and motivational lines which follow stand out to me and also have application in a secular setting. What do we love on this earth? Our family, friends, job (ideally), hobbies, etc. How do we allow love to guide us in where to spend our precious and finite time? Let us be guided by love in 2022. As the final line calls to mind, “it will decide everything.”
Nothing is more practical than
finding God, that is, than
Falling in Love
in a quite absolute, final way.
What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination,
will affect everything.
It will decide
what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what you do with your evenings,
how you spend your weekends,
what you read, whom you know,
what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in love, stay in love,
and it will decide everything.
To the Point
May our hearts be balanced and full. On fire with an unstoppable, hope-filled beat. Happy New Year! Best wishes for 2022!
Footnote [1] While often attributed to Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, this prayer was written by Fr. Joseph P. Whelan, SJ (Jesuits, 2021).
Reference
Jesuits. (2021). Stories: Falling in Love. https://www.jesuits.org/stories/falling-in-love/
Images
Calligraphy by Holly Monroe - https://www.jesuits.org/stories/falling-in-love/
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