Article Contributed by Colleen Slaughter
During a recent conversation about all that I try to juggle, a friend suggested I might want to embrace resetting as a regular practice. This was after I belted out a list of the roles which were important for me to not only to play, but to also be darn good at (!): a present Mom, impactful Coach, thriving Business Owner, attentive Wife, Daughter, Friend, etc. etc. etc. Whew! Makes me exhausted just thinking about all I sometimes try to do.
A quick look in the dictionary told me that one definition of “reset” is “to change the reading of” like a clock. I could go for that. Pausing, taking stock, breathing deeply, and then determining the “right” next step also seem a propos to me. Indeed, with these descriptors and given what I was trying to achieve, I could clearly see how resetting could be my ally.
Later that day, I went to a yoga class where the theme was, guess what? Resetting. Resetting the placement of my feet on the yoga mat so as to have a firm foundation. Hmmm, resetting and a firm foundation. So, does that mean that not taking the time to reset would cause my footing to be unsure? It would seem so.
Given the conversation I had just had with my friend an hour earlier, I couldn’t help but make the connection between my postural repositioning and my friend’s suggestion of resetting throughout my daily challenges. Not allowing the time it takes to reset, from the ground up, the flow of my daily life and the place of all the people in it leads to a lot of needless stumbling.
On the other hand, creating the space for myself to get used to new footing (in the form of all the surprises thrown at me throughout the day) allows for a natural unfolding of a flow that works – one with grace and solidity.
So many of us get out of bed still half-asleep and approach our day as we have every other one – making ourselves crazy getting as far as we can down the to-do list and collapsing in bed at night. Only to start over again the next day. Even the French, famous for their leisurely meals and long vacations, have a rhyme for this, “metro, boulot, dodo” [subway, work, sleep] . We can do all this without once calling into question the motivation (the real one, not “because I have to”) behind our actions. Sound familiar?
Resetting can help us in other parts of our lives, too. At the office, we are trained to look at what’s not working and to move to immediately fixing it. More often than not, we make frantic attempts to find a solution, any solution. But, really, how good is the outcome when we are in constant motion, without even one check-in to see how our approach might (not) be working? Most likely not very. How much more effective would we be if we stood back and ensured our feet were in a good position, as it were, before acting? My bet is that it would lead to more focused action, less expended energy, and much better results.
Resetting allows us to come back to ourselves, to back up and punt when things are getting out of hand or are feeling overwhelming for us.
Take a step back. Breathe. Make sure your footing is on firm foundation before proceeding. Reset.
Then begin again. With renewed vigor.
About the Author
Colleen Slaughter, founder of Authentic Leadership International, is a proven coach with a remarkable ability to motivate women to cultivate greater authenticity and fulfillment at home and in the workplace. Colleen’s dynamic experience allows her to skillfully guide her clients to navigate roadblocks and develop practical solutions to accomplish both personal and professional goals.