Recently, my assistant joined a gym. It wasn’t because she had a New Year’s resolution to get fit or anything. She just really missed doing yoga, was eager to try it again, and is so glad she did! She had a gym membership when she lived in Las Vegas and was a regular in the yoga studio there but when she moved to Michigan almost three years ago, she didn’t find a new gym. With all of the stress and overwhelm that came with moving across country, buying a house, unpacking, registering her son for school, finding the perfect day care, trying to make new friends, and acclimating to life in the Midwest, she just didn’t feel she had time for yoga. As she got situated in her new city and life calmed down to include manageable routines, she still didn’t make time for the yoga classes she had so loved.
So why now? Why did she join a gym after a close to three-year hiatus? Simply because she saw a painted quote on a large sign in her dentist’s office that read, “If not now, then when?” and it hit home. She started pondering that question in every area of her life which swiftly led to painting her office, getting a massage, and joining a gym. Now, those may all seem like small things, but they’re things she had been putting off for a long time as other things always seemed to take precedence. I think as women, most of us are like that. We keep putting off what we want to do because we feel there’s too much we need to do. We sacrifice our passions in the name of our work and our husbands, kids, and friends’ well-being, thus leaving our own passions on the back burner until they fizzle out.
I don’t think they have to be mutually exclusive. We just need to be more intentional and carve out time for our passions. When your calendar is already overloaded by work, field trips, PTA meetings, board meetings, and soccer games, that can be difficult to do. Difficult, but doable. Borrow minutes from your current routine where you can. Enlist your hubby to wash the dishes. Teach your kids to fold their own laundry. Order your groceries online to save you an hour at the store. Listen to the news via a podcast while driving instead of sitting down to watch it every night. Borrow minutes from your current routine to pursue your passions, then consistently do so.
Maybe you’ve always wanted to paint. You don’t have to go at it full throttle, signing up for every art class in the city. Perhaps you take a one-off Sip n Paint type class once a month or buy some brushes and paint at your kitchen table once a week. Ease into committing to your passions so they have a better chance of sticking. If you discover you keep putting off painting at the kitchen table because the dishes need to be done, the laundry needs to be folded, or little Johnny can’t sleep, sign up for a class or register for a workshop. You’ll be more likely to attend because of the financial investment you’ve made and outside accountability you’ve created. You could also enlist a girlfriend to paint with you for added accountability. However you choose to revitalize your passions, start slowly and appreciate the beautiful journey unfolding that’s going to leave you feeling more fulfilled.
So I ask, what passion have you been putting off that you’d like to pursue? And if not now, then when?
