March, in Western Pennsylvania, and I have a love/hate relationship. It is, at times, unbearably cold and yet every once in a while you might catch a glimpse of 60 degrees. This morning was beautifully sunny and I woke up to robins singing in the magnolia tree in my front yard. The promise of spring filled my thoughts, but as I pulled back the curtain I saw that it was also snowing and 28 degrees. Those poor little birds, I don’t know how they kept from freezing, yet there they were, singing joyfully in the sun as the branches on which they perched swayed in the winter wind.
If my life were a month, it would be March, perhaps that is why it bothers me more than any other month. March is the last month that is almost guaranteed to be snowy and cold, yet it can be unpredictable, offering dreams of a warm and sunny early spring, then squashing them with a winter blizzard in a matter of hours. March doesn’t care about your feelings. March does what it wants! I often feel that this is my life, but maybe it’s not just my life, maybe it is life in general. You get into a routine around which your whole life revolves, you go to bed exhausted, you wake up exhausted, sometimes you think about things that you have always dreamed of doing, those are your sunny times, but then you decide that those dreams don’t have a place in your routine, you’re already exhausted, how could you possible add one more thing to the schedule? In comes another blizzard and you hunker down for a lifetime of endless March.
This is a rut – it feels like months of winter during which all you really want to do is hibernate under the blankets on your bed wondering if you’ll ever see the sun again. You force yourself out into each day because you are a responsible adult (it’s a struggle), you fulfill all of your responsibilities for the day, and then at the earliest convenience, collapse back onto the couch to binge watch a show on Netflix, or give up entirely and head straight to bed. This is normal life to so many, but is it how we were meant to live? How many of you honestly live in this rut and feel completely fulfilled? You have found purpose in life, you are content – happy even! I’m sure there are a few, to which I say I am truly happy that the routine you have is exactly the life you want for yourself. For those who are endlessly shoveling sidewalks and driveways knowing that it is only going to snow again later, I get you, don’t lose hope, and don’t give up.
In fact, I am inviting you to accept a challenge to break the cycle – to march out of March. I challenge you to take a few minutes each day to evaluate your routine, how you got to where you are, and how it makes you feel. Start a journal, this is an excellent way to get all of your thoughts out! After you have all of your thoughts and emotions written down, meditate just for a few minutes, on how you would like to feel, and write down what will get you there. You now have a goal to work toward. For example: If you’re anything like me you can’t function without first consuming at least half of a pot of coffee. Then you experience brain fog and shaking hands the rest of the day. So, you might write that you are frustrated about not being able to form clear thoughts or write them down nicely because you just had to have that extra cup (or three) of coffee. What will help this situation? I need to cut it back to one cup of coffee in the morning two at most, and then drink plenty of water the rest of the day. Just like that, I have set a new goal for myself. In your journal, keep track of each day that you have accomplished this goal, whether it’s caffeine intake, cleaner eating, exercise, pushing yourself to talk to more people, starting a travel savings account, or even starting your own business. You can choose what goals will make you happier, but write them down, and revisit them.
Everyone needs some extra help staying motivated so don’t just leave your goals tucked away in your journal, write them on an index card or some pretty card stock and put them places where you will see them every day. I have a note on my coffee maker reminding me that one cup is enough! The last part of this challenge is to pick a few words or phrases, favorite quotes, Bible verses, or a mixture of any of these. Write them down in your journal, but also, again on a card or post-it note, and put them on your mirrors, look at yourself and read them out loud until you believe them! My favorites include: I am smart enough, I am able, I am brave, and “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).” Memorize the phrases that empower you, what encourages you to keep going, and repeat them to yourself when you wake up in the morning, are driving, in the shower, cooking dinner, any time you are able. Remind yourself what you want to accomplish and believe that you will. Don’t wait for the circumstances around you to change – create your own spring, and make it stick! When you incorporate these things into your routine, you begin to feel better about yourself, and once your first goal is met, you are excited to set a new one because you have accomplished something that is making you feel better – something positive that you want for your life that you never made time for in the past. Your energy levels will increase. You begin to prove to yourself that you are worth it and the lies that you are less important than everyone else or that your time is not your own, will be overcome with affirmations that you were created for something more. You are allowed to take control of your life. You are allowed to be happy. Change your mindset, march on, leave March in the past, and discover a whole new life of spring and new beginnings. You can do this!
