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How to redesign your life

Recreating a life is a little like decluttering a room. You need to decide what parts of it you’d like to keep and what parts of it you’d like to go off. And of course, the best part is you need to decide what it is you need to shop for in order to add to your life to enhance it.

Periods of transformation, change, redevelopment or whatever the flavour of the day word is for getting the life you want or need are all important to consider. They make you think about balancing what is good and healthy for you and your family. Any type of change begins with one form of action: it could be as small as taking your lunch to work, to as big as moving homes (which I recently did). Change is action. You must do “something” to start the process of “action.”

Let’s see, what do I need to transform in my life now? I really need to find harmony with who I am now at my workplace. The work culture I live in is really driven, high stress, with lots of extra hours of unpaid overtime… and yes, before breast cancer, this worked really well for me. I loved challenging things and still do. When I went back to work I thought I would easily be able to do exactly what I did before. Yes, you got it, I was wrong. My body says, honey you are still healing, and healing takes time, and when you do too much we are going to make you feel so tired, even your mamma will say “child, why are you driving yourself so hard?” I have had the friend lecture, the husband lecture, the doctor lecture and silly me still thinks, oh yes I can, oh yes I can, oh yes I can…oh.. oh.. oh.. And then the body says “no”… not going to happen. Splat on my face go I.

So, my redecorating-my-life project is now at the redesign stage. I have a good picture of what is working for me and what isn’t. I need to set smaller goals, and be satisfied with achieving them. I need to set limits at work with myself and my coworkers as to what I can do effectively without working overtime. I need to recognize that I have a new normal and that it is just fine to be this person I am now.

Once I’m on track, I do have a wish list of what I’d like to “shop for” to add to my life: a) take art courses at Alberta College of Art and Design; b) host small parties in our home and do more entertaining; c) learn a new sporting activity; d) do some volunteer work. I know these are not big wishes, but these little wishes are really important to have in your life. Although they are not essential they are kind of like fertilizer, they help you grow.

So… my life is still in major transformation and adjustment… and that’s okay. I am very happy every day that I am here, getting to do this.

Life is good.
Jordan