Make Your Foundation Strong Enough to Support Your Dreams

Hi. Welcome to Bloom Anywhere. I'm Gwen Moran, a writer, editor, author, and problem-solver. My goal is to share information, ideas, and resources to help you overcome obstacles, reach your goals, and get more joy out of life, even when things are messy. Thanks for joining me. (If you got this from a friend, subscribe here: Bloom Anywhere.) I'd love your feedback and suggestions for future topics. Please send me an email: connect@bloomanywhere.com.

Lately, I’ve been having trouble making progress toward a few goals. Last week, I discussed breaking down progress-oriented goals into systems and integrating these pieces into my daily routine. That’s helpful, but it hasn’t quieted my inner critic. And I’m not making progress at the pace I’d like.
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As I examined why I was struggling to gain traction and why some of my integrated practices were slipping, I began to look at how I was spending my time and energy. I realized that there were some cracks in my foundation.

Revisiting the most important pyramid

Before I explain what I mean, let’s back up. You likely know about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs—the psychological theory that our basic needs must be met before we can move up to higher-level needs. In other words, if we don’t have food, clothing, and basic safety, it’s hard or impossible to worry about whether a boss gave us enough credit during the all-hands team meeting this week.

While we all have basic minimum needs to survive, I have learned over time that I—and, I believe, others—have some foundational needs that must be met for me to release worry and think forward. I need to feel like my business is going well and that I can provide for my family's needs. I need to have regular social interaction to offset the challenges (social isolation, loneliness) that working from home presents to my highly extroverted personality. I need to have the autonomy and space to organize my time in a way that allows me to meet the obligations I have.

Almost none of that has been adequate.

I’ve been spending a lot of time worrying about the state of my industry. Technology disruptions, layoffs, and other factors are creating massive shifts in many ways. That worry has disrupted my focus. A personal matter has also taken some time, and I’ve been drawn away from some caregiving responsibilities, which has also caused me concern, guilt, and worry. Those are all cracks in my foundation, and I’m burning energy worrying about them. They get in the way of building upward.

Repairing the foundation

So, I’ve started patching the cracks. I realized that I was putting too much pressure on myself to get a few things done too soon. (My nature.) I need to prioritize time with family and close friends to nurture that part of myself and invest in those all-important relationships. I need to “control the controllables” and let go of worry about things I can’t control. That’s not easy, but by taking action to combat those worries—learning more about the tech that’s changing everything, increasing my savings, and focusing on marketing for the second half of this year—I can alleviate some of the worry.

We all have some elements of our foundation that need to be tended to for us to look up instead of down. Some issues that feel less fundamental to others can steal our joy and energy. The cracks that matter may include peace in our homes or our relationships, manageable debt, or a plan for dealing with a health issue. While our basic needs—such as food, water, and shelter—may be universal, the things that worry us as individuals and keep us up at night are often uniquely personal. For example, while many folks assume that routine blood work is just that—routine—people who have been through cancer or other illnesses may feel like such simple tests blow up their lives a little. When the cracks are making it hard to focus or move forward, we need to tend to them. That way, we can rebuild our foundations to be strong enough to support us as we strive toward what we want to build.

Don’t let cracks erode your foundation

It’s a challenging, uncertain time in many ways. Are you dealing with some cracks in your foundation? I won’t ask what they are—that’s a private matter—but I’d love to hear your approach to taking the time and focus you need to deal with them. How do you recharge, regain strength, and become motivated again? If you’d like to share, I can be reached at connect@bloomanywhere.com.

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