By ena ganguly
We are halfway through the year 2020. I’m still processing that, simply because these past few months have been so unexpected. I never thought I would not be able to go to the movies, get a pedicure with my boo or sit and eat inside a restaurant. I mean, technically, the state of Texas tells me I can, but honestly, I’m too paranoid about contracting COVID while getting my nails done to step out the house for it.
For many of us, these past few months have been unexpected, and taken us through many different emotions, to say the least. I know I’ve had to really reel back in my expectations for this year, acknowledge some sorrow around having to let go of what I thought I was going to get out of this year, and reset my intentions to adjust to my reality, to my right now. Though I’m most definitely still in the process of doing exactly that, I’m going to share with you some tips if you are also thinking about undergoing a similar thought process.
Journal the expectations you had for this year.
Perhaps you already wrote down what it is you wanted to get out of this year, and already have it written down somewhere. If you do, read it again, recall back to how you felt, the mindset you were in, when you wrote down those intentions. If you didn’t do so at the beginning of the year, do it now. Take the time to verbalize the expectations you had out of this year, so you may better understand some of the feelings of disappointment, anger or frustration that you’re feeling now.
Once you’re done writing out your initial expectations, read them out loud to yourself. You may even want to share these expectations with your partner, roommate, friend or a dear pet. Sometimes speaking things into the world makes it feel more real, and may make our present feelings feel more valid and affirmed.
Not to be dramatic, but a suggestion to consider is to take the piece of paper you wrote your expectations on and burn it or bury it. Perhaps that would make you feel like there was more closure, as you literally ended those expectations on paper. If not, that’s totally okay. We all think of ending something in our own ways, and there’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to do it.
Think about and consider writing down what your day-to-day looks like now.
This is a good exercise in figuring out if you can fulfill any of the expectations you had for this year before the pandemic hit by relying on your lived experience right now. This not only puts things into perspective, but may also get you to start thinking about what is possible for the rest of the year as you let go of past expectations and recontextualize them in your today.
Write down exactly what you want for the rest of your year.
This can look like thinking more on the things you’re already doing, like if you’re making coffee for yourself every day, how do you want to change it up, what types of brands or coffee drinks do you want to try, etc. Or if you just started tending to a small plant, how do you want to take care of it and do you have any intentions on getting more plants, if so, what kinds, and so on. This can help you feel inspired for the rest of the year, while hopefully, keep you from feeling overwhelmed.
I hope those tips helped! Join us this Friday from 1 to 3 PM to discuss Revisiting Intentions as we embark on the second half of 2020! Register here.
