The Now-Future Tension

My kids have only been out of (virtual) school for four weeks, yet the aisles at Target are filled with brightly colored school supplies for next year. My tween is looking at all the fall styles, eager to be back to school in person for the first time in nearly a year and a half. Meanwhile, it nears 100 degrees and a zillion percent humidity daily. My favorite online boutique debuted their adorable fall collection, but just looking outside makes me start sweating. There are barbecues and pool parties on the weekends, but we are also organizing our calendars for fall. I have already received an invitation in the mail to a holiday party!

The world is moving fast, am I right?!

We’re in that weird in-between where we want to SIMPLY BE PRESENT and enjoy summer…but the new school year, the cooler temps, the expectations, and plans of fall beckon.

How do you continue pursuing wholeness when you’re feel ripped in half, pulled between the now and the not yet?

4 Thoughts to Help You Navigate this Tension:

1. Wholeness is a journey, not a destination. Some fits and starts are to be expected, and we are still emerging from a global pandemic that rocked our lives. It’s ok to not exactly have your life or your kids’ schedules or your career goals all mapped out. Give yourself some grace and remember that one step in the direction of wholeness is still a step in the right direction.

2. Breathe. Do it right now. Walk away from distractions and practice taking deep breaths in and long breaths out. Feel your mind and your body settle, almost as if you re-center yourself in your own body. Practice breathing techniques like these when you feel overwhelmed or off-kilter. Needing to do this doesn’t make you weak, it builds you as a Warrior Woman!

3. Remind yourself—tension isn’t bad. In coaching, we use our preferred picture of the future to tweak (or sometimes upend!) what we are doing now. Imagine a picture of what you want the fall and winter to look like. Set a goal. Begin taking baby steps now! Then your summer becomes more aligned to get you to where you want your fall to be!

4. Get together with others. I am more convinced than I have ever been in my life, that we need each other. We need a plurality and diversity of experiences to inform our own walk through life. We need others to have our backs and to kick our bum when we need it! We have coaching groups launching every month from September ‘til the holidays. Take a look here, and seriously figure out how you can join a group. Working with a certified coach, in the company of other women, will help you achieve greater wholeness than you will on your own.

Take some time today to have a margarita or an iced coffee and begin dreaming about what you want your days to look like during pumpkin spice season.

Then, take a big, deep breath. You’ve got this, Warrior. May you be blessed with many a pool party, baseball game, and vacation days to enjoy, even as a bright future awaits.