We’ve rounded the corner to another new year and should be reminded that time is possibility and that the cyclicality of beginning and ending is deeply attached to perception and cultural norms. All of these tools give us space to build our own approach to that which is new, taking into account what has passed, what might come, and what our observations, perceptions, and expectations tell us. So how do we harness the idea of transition as a framework?
As you explore your approach to ending and build a toolkit that supports that outcome energetically, consider what it might take to find, as Neil Gaiman says, “somewhere to rest, to stop reading, and to be content,” and take some time to explore the tools below to challenge and build your relationship with your reason for getting things done.
Fear is many things--a manifestation of anxieties and social pressures, a desire to avoid discomfort, an evolutionary predisposition to protect the reptilian self—and its stigma, the sometimes-delimiting factor to its efficacy. Candidly, fear is simply information, albeit information meant to drive our decision-making to achieve an almost always singular outcome: safety. So how can we reengineer this discomfort as a powerful ally?
We experience misalignment when our expectations do not match real-time conditions. The biproducts of misalignment—frustration, disappointment, self-doubt, dissatisfaction—cause productivity lapses, interpersonal friction, and burnout. And yet, we are often unaware when we are misaligned. Choosing awareness creates opportunities to design strategies that support better outcomes and greater overall satisfaction. So how do we get there?
Energy defines our experience as living creatures down to a quantum level and yet we often engage with it passively or even reactively. As a result, we expend considerable amounts of energy in ways we don’t realize or even mean to. This leads to a spectrum of time-absorbing consequences that might be mitigated by a more engaged and aware relationship with energy.
Beginning is a favorite topic of philosophers and industrialists and a dreaded experience for the neurodiverse rank-and-file. As we embark upon the second half of the term, I encourage you to embrace this circular narrative with a growth-mindset.
Denver’s very own revolutionary drag queen and creative prodigy, Yvie Oddly, calls failure a “gift.” This claim finds its antithesis in the years of conditioning we experience as endemic to the culture of competition that defines education, personal growth, and professional life in this country. Yvie and I are asking you to stop and reframe.
Momentum is motivation's most accessible companion--we're talking small, but generative moves. If motivation doesn’t come easily, consider what gives you momentum and the outcomes that momentum delivers. Small sparks can fuel productivity and growth! What assumptions or behaviors support your momentum?
Curiosity is the lifeblood of creativity and critical problem-solving. It activates, pursues, grows, empowers, challenges, changes, inspires, strengthens, and builds. Most importantly, curiosity helps us survive.
Time is the abstract currency by which we measure progress and achievement. Unfortunately, its inherent limitations and linear nature frequently clash with our self-knowledge and expectations inhibiting our ability to channel it in service of our goals. As you begin this new academic year, reflect on your relationship with time.
