#55 - Offsetting the ups and downs
Isn’t it strange how we can approach January with either a sense of foreboding or unrealistic high expectations? Particularly if the past year didn’t quite deliver what we hoped. But why are we programmed to base our mood on where we are in the calendar year? We don’t seem to put such pressure on other months like March or November do we? January is just another month in the crazy rollercoaster that is life. Just like any other month it has the potential to be comprised of:
UPS and DOWNS
ELATION and DISAPPOINTMENT
APPROVAL and REJECTION
HAPPY TIMES and SAD TIMES
SUCCESS and FAILURE
CONNECTIONS and FALLOUTS
ACHIEVEMENTS and CHALLENGES
HOPES and REGRETS
PROGRESS and SETBACKS
Of course, not all of these are always in equal measure and typically as humans we tend to dwell on the downs rather than the ups. So what I am going to try this year is the tactic of ‘OFFSETTING’. So if something annoying or upsetting or frustrating happens, I will cancel it out with something that has been enjoyable or satisfying or rewarding.
Here are a few of my examples this month (well, the ones I am willing to share!):
I brought in the New Year with terrible flu BUT also had an amazing trip to Lapland where I had a lovely time surrounded by snow and forests and huskies and reindeer
I injured my back BUT offset with the fact I am now recovered and back in training for another Hyrox fitness event in May
This month I have already had a speeding fine (with 3 points yay) AND a parking fine (GRRR) BUT offset with the fact I am getting a tax refund whoop
I have struggled with meeting the goals I set to de-clutter my life BUT offset with the fulfilment of progressing my journey to become a mentor for the Girl’s Network
SO psychologically, it helps me to feel that the good outweighs the bad.
Naturally, there will be months where there are more troughs than peaks so when that happens, I will just park them in the ‘shit happens’ bucket and offset them when the happy fairies deliver another opportunity to offset.
January doesn’t need to be identified as the month for post-Christmas blues or the month when we deprive ourselves of the things that make life sweeter. It’s just another month in which we can buckle up to embrace the unpredictability of the rollercoaster of life.
