Rhythms and Goals During Global Pandemics
You know the old cliché, “April showers bring May flowers.” I used to think it was merely talking about the weather and then COVID-19 hit and now I’m meant to self-isolate until May 4th and all of a sudden I’m reminded that it’s deeper than that and growth often comes through pain.
I know lots of people are out here writing deep, heartfelt, encouraging or philosophical ponderings about this global pandemic and I think those are lovely. But I’m a practical person and for me to thrive during a global pandemic means a re-orientation of goals and rhythms.
I don’t know how long this will last but I know that at least for the month of April - my life is going to be drastically different than how I anticipated it. And, guess what? That’s okay.
If my relationship with God has taught me anything it would be that tough times come and sometimes they are so bad you don’t think you’ll survive - but you do. Because God is sovereign even in the pain and confusion and He is good.
But I’m also self-aware enough to know that I THRIVE on order and routine and rhythms. It doesn’t always mean I follow them because I’m not that self-motivated, but having them there as a foundation is vital for me. As I wrote before, I had high hopes for 2020 and guess what? I’m not letting a global pandemic or being home bound for 49 days stop me. I’m just moving some stuff around, asking God about what’s essential, and dedicating this next month to some serious growth.
Thankfully, my goal setting system has a seasonal reset on goals that follow the four calendar seasons so April was bound to see some change anyways.
The first thing I did was to reassess my social media intake, especially in this season, and create some rules for each platform.
Pinterest, I don’t have it on my phone and only use it on my laptop or iPad and only for a specific purpose. Not idle browsing.
Instagram, I’m only using for 40 minutes a day (in theory 20 personal/20 business), only to check specific stories, post a story, check DMs, and briefly scroll or check on specific friends. No idle browsing.
Facebook, I’m trying to minimize to like 10 minutes a day and to only check on my church page, any blog comments, and interact with specific people. Honestly, Facebook is like a cesspool of information and negativity and the less time I spend on it, the happier I am.
The next thing I did was to assess the last few months in specific categories such as health, friends, family, significant other, finances, spiritual and personal growth, work, and recreation and think about how I wanted to improve each of them. I also gave myself a new word to focus on this season. My word for 2020 was “rest” and now I’m in a time of forced uncomfortable rest so I gave myself a new word and it’s “persist.” To persist is to continue firmly or obstinately in an opinion or a course of action in spite of difficulty, opposition, or failure. I’m going to persist in resting, enjoying life, and growing even in this time of uncertainty and fear.
Then I got to refresh my goals, with color coded pens. I looked at my 2020 goals and adapted them for this season and time. I added some new ones and eliminated others. It was freeing and exciting and reminded me that life may be weird but we have a solid foundation and He provides a way for new normals to emerge. We are ever changing and He stands firm.
I have 5 goals for this next season and they are as follows:
Nourish. Move. Grow. - I will nourish my body by eating whole foods (even on lockdown), move my body, and grow in sustainability by focusing on DIY options and bulk buying. Specifically in April that means focusing on greener meals. Running 4x week and doing small weight training 3x week. It also means brewing kombucha (so I don’t buy that) and finding places to buy beans, etc. in bulk.
Spring Surviving - Is all about maintaining and developing order out of chaos in my home despite not really having a kitchen or being able to donate things if Savers, Goodwill, etc. are temporarily closed. It includes minimization and deep cleaning of the top two floors of my house, organizing my pantry and bathroom and finishing kitchen renovations.
Unforced Rhythms of Grace are all about developing a new kind of Rule of Life. Essentially, I adapted Bridgetown Church’s rule of life for this season and am really excited to have a month of sabbaths to set the rhythm before extraneous things begin to compete for that time. Practically this means, weekly sabbath, online community, and daily time with the Lord. It also includes a day of 12 hour fasting and praying and starting a strong gratitude practice because we are so blessed.
Passion Projects are things that bring me life, like reading, writing and creating or anything that brings joy. Daily that means implementing an “Austen 15” where I spend 15 minutes a day on something a lady in Jane Austen’s time would do. So I can read, write letters, play piano, go for a walk, work on embroidery, watercolor, draw, dancing, or archery. Essentially, I’ve realized at my core I’m a regency lady and I enjoy growing in those skills and activities. It also means date night once a week - yes even in isolation. Expect creativity to abound. As well as writing and sharing once a week. I know my words aren’t that special but they help me and I hope they encourage at least one person.
Shoot, Baby, Shoot! Which is all about photography. It’s about using this downtime to grow my craft and my business. I’ll be working on a 52 weeks project (TBD if just self-portraits or what), finding more models and playing and enjoying photography, and getting into some online courses to grow my skills and business plan.
These may seem small but I’m really excited about them and what God is going to do in April. 49 days is a long time away from the majority of society but I know God is good and He’s going to move mightily in my life in this season.
What are some goal reorientations or rhythm changes that you’re incorporating? I’d love to hear and cheer you on!