Begin again
Usually when I get home from a trip, my focus and energy are on getting unpacked and re-settled (back to “business as usual”) as soon as I can. This often means a flurry of activity and making it almost invisible that I was ever gone in the first place.
But I spent the last several days with two dear colleagues, reflecting on 2025 and doing our visioning and planning for 2026. And one of the things I honed in on, in the slow-paced days together, was my desire to dial way back on my speed and focus in way more closely to connection and present moments.
It’s not 2026 yet, but today brought the first opportunity to slow down.
When I got home, I could have whirled right into unpacking, laundry, and getting set up for the new week tomorrow.
Instead, I thought about how much I’ve been wanting to prioritize cooking and making good food for myself and decided to walk to the grocery store to get ingredients to make dinner.
It would have been so much faster to pop up to my burrito shop. Or to order sushi to be delivered. Or even to get in my car instead of walk.
But if I didn’t take this moment to slow down…would I ever?
I felt the old, hurried part of me calling. Telling me I should get everything unpacked and put away and neat-and-shiny (like the drill sergeant was coming around for inspections?!).
It took a moment of stopping, reminding myself (out loud, ha!) of what I’m working toward, and fighting the default pull to move in a new direction.
And it was worth it.
I can tell I have my work cut out for me. You don’t change habits and defaults and ruts after one day. But that one day leads to another day, another chance to change the path.
Tomorrow, I begin again. I hope I can slow down long enough to keep moving in the new direction I want to go…
