Your trigger dates can punk you—that’s why you should know them well
Sometimes I write a post and I think I’m ready to fling it out into the world and it boomerangs right back smacking me upside the head. Just like this one has done repeatedly to me for the past several weeks.
The post that follows seems to have knocked me out cold a couple of times. And I’m not letting go… because there’s a message in here somewhere. I promise.
Think back and take on the feeling of your first week this August…
Summer just began a few weeks ago then I blinked and suddenly it’s August!” —me
What’s been your experience this summer? Did it go screaming by or what?
We are now well into the second half of the year with only a few weeks (or days) of summer left to go. Have you already realized this or are you thinking more like “So what, one day is the same as the next”?
We humans are hard-wired to think in terms of the time of year.
This can be marked by the seasons as well as specific dates. Whether that’s good or bad has a lot to do with how you view your progress or lack of progress relative to certain trigger dates throughout the year.
You know, trigger dates like…
- New Year’s Day,
- Your birthday,
- An anniversary,
- The change of seasons,
- School starts, even if you’re no longer in school, and
- The realization that time seems to be passing you by.
Sorry about that last one. I know it might sting a little. Or maybe not.
So, now’s the perfect time to check in with yourself to see how you’re doing with everything you hoped this year would be. That is if you like self-inducing more stress, lousy moods, downward spirals, huge disappointment… Sorry, buzzkill not intended.
Okay, I’ll stop with that. For now.
You know we do this, right? What I mean is we set all kinds of expectations around dates in time or times of the year. Take the biggie for example—January 1st.
Then we compound the damage done by having set those unrealistic expectations by beating ourselves up around this time of year. Why, because if we didn’t punt those overly ambitious goals to the curb in January, then we may be preparing to now.
In the first days of August, with five full months of the year left on the calendar, the first “finish your year strong” post found its way into my feed. I mean, c’mon the year just ticked past the halfway mark. At least wait until later in September for goodness’ sake.
So whatta we gonna do? Stress about it?
If I let myself, I absolutely will. And full disclosure here—I did. I completely stressed about it. If you’re like me at all, you’ve probably done the same thing at one time or another.
You might have experienced a few different reactions ranging from “Meh, I’ll get to it soon enough” to “Oh crap, I’m seriously behind the power curve. What will my hustler mentors think about me?” If that’s the case, my advice is simple… Don’t hang out with the hustler set.
The reality is we all have at least one trigger date that makes us question our progress.
Do you know yours?
That’s really the first step—knowing significant dates or times of year that trigger self-critical reflection. For me, it’s always the approaching end of summer. That one hits me harder than all the rest.
Why? Because I still secretly want my summers to be like the magical summers of days gone by. Nothing wrong with that on the surface. We just need to realize that with each passing year, we face more interruptions, more noise, more distractions, and of course, we have more responsibilities to top it off.
Once you know your trigger dates, it’s best to plan for them rather than let one sneak up on you.
Accept that trigger dates, times, and seasons are mostly arbitrary.
For the most part, one is just like the next. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for growing, living a meaningful and fulfilling life, and being relevant in this crazy, mixed-up, go-go-go, more-more-more, now-now-now world. After all, that’s much of what LifeUntucked® is all about.
I just don’t see the value in letting ourselves make life harder than it needs to be. The parts we don’t have control over make it hard enough already.
When I started this post three weeks ago, I was feeling pretty good about things. Then as I pecked away at the keyboard and let my brain go free-range on me, I slowly thought my way into a funk.
I self-induced a quasi-sick feeling by creating pressure that wasn’t there before simply because I gave some power to the time of year.
My brain began playing tricks on me. Maybe it was the combination of realizing that summer was almost over, the year is flying by, and that “be sure to finish strong” newsletter that shocked my system.
The important thing is that none of it matters.
But still, I couldn’t make sense of where my post was going.
What points did I want to make? What solutions did I want to offer? How would I suggest ways to keep you out of the trap I set for myself?
Thanks for indulging me. And if you’re still reading here’s what I’ve managed to harvest from the above nine-hundred words or so…
- “Trigger Dates” are a real thing and they’re hard to avoid. Once you know yours you can prepare for them in advance, or you can let them sneak up on you. I won’t be doing that next August.
- If you’re feeling stressed about plans or goals you’ve let slip, check in with yourself and ask some tough questions like… Is this something I really want to do or need to do? If it is important, ask yourself what you might have let get in the way.
- For those passing your query and reflection, don’t look back any longer. Saddle up. Get back on your horse and ride toward that sunset.
Let me know in the comments what you are planning for the rest of the year. I’d love to hear from you!
Be untucked.
p.s. Know someone who might like this post? Don’t forget to share it with them. Thanks…
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