I am guilty of being one of those people who used to think being an introvert was a bad thing — introverts had signs of “DO NOT GET CLOSE!”, and “STEP IN ON YOUR OWN RISK!”. I was always a party person — even if I don’t look like it — but I used to thrive when surrounded by people. I needed two things to survive: air, and a pack of friends with an infinite list of to-do’s. That was my thing.
Until two major changes hit my life, and I found out I was living in oblivion:
Change 1 — A Full-Time Remote Job
I was so happy when I landed my first remote gig ever! I am a morning person, but I hate the morning rush, the traffic, the sleepy/dark faces of a colleague, and on top of it all — I hated stuffing myself into the right different outfit every day! That was torture, I did that seven years in a row so I was ready for my freedom ticket.
The one thing I didn’t count on was the fact that work is not only a place where you meet work, but you also meet people.
Bottom line: I had tons of free time to do anything, but none of my on-site working friends was available to join. When they were free, I started my USA overlap work hours, so I was not free — Life started to suck!
Change 2 — A Pandemic
This one was way out-of-my-league arena. I guess it was way out of everyone’s arena! We got stuck in our houses, seeing the same faces, doing the same things, repeating the same routine for months.
My introverted friend thought this was heaven because people all at once stopped bugging her. I was living a nightmare — I needed to flee!
I always move: if not to meet a friend, if not to take care of a task, if not for a walk — I would just keep moving trying to do something. The more different that something is, the better I feel. I couldn’t stay still — I had to figure out something.
I Am Blind No More
Being forced to stay at our homes, and figuring out a new routine to follow and live in harmony with made me realize two things: my day is long, and I used to waste a huge chunk of it.
Here are the new habits I was forced to adopt as my introverted self came to light due to a pandemic:
Habit №1 — Wake Up Early
Since I started my remote job, and due to the shift of my day towards a night schedule — I started waking up later than usual. So the one thing I had to do as we were locked down was the opposite of what everyone else n my family did: I started waking up earlier.
The weather is clearer in the morning, and everyone is asleep, so it’s the perfect time to chill, listen to some music, finish chores before 100. hands touch every inch, and most importantly — that was my time, and my time only. I earned it, and I was determined to get the most out. of it.
Habit №2 — DIY Time
My family has a small garden. I never had the time to think or work on how to make it look more beautiful, bigger, and cozier. Now I have all the time in the world, and I need something to occupy my stressed mind. What can be a better mind shifter than a huge DIY project in the garden? And I took my time with this one.
I removed the palm trees blocking the doorway, covered the old bricks with a pearly coat of small stones, and brought in a new fence and trees. To make it better, I brought light ropes and hunged them over the seating area I made from old wooden shelves we had. And when I wanted to take it an extra step, I created a small pond on the side using a fish tank air breather.
Can you picture the image I just draw for you? I was at top of the world!
Habit №3 — Junk In The Trunk No More
This was the time to work on food habits. I stopped ordering junk food — dah! — And I started flipping my all fish & chips, easy bites, let them all in routines with salads and unsalted nuts. Don’t fool yourself guys, it was a living hell! When I saw junk food, I was literally in physical pain. It was torture in its worst shapes, and I was the subject of it.
I didn’t commit to my new routine as you can imagine, but I never went back to my old habits — mission accomplished, agent Hunt!
Habit №4 — Self Improvement
This is the best part because it can be as narrow as signing up for an online self-improvement course, or as extreme as dedicating the time to start your own business. I did both!
I found a new passion for soap making over weekends while doing my full-time job over weekdays. You say the amazing balance this created for me? I was finally on top of my game, and my whole time was dedicated to me.
No more distractions from people who didn’t care about anything but having fun with anyone available for a ride, and no extra time spent in useless traffic jams that suck the life out of you.
It was time for some self-exploring, and I found I was a great person to get to know!
. . .
The Revelation
Being a caged extrovert turned out to be a useful thing after all. I ended up discovering the introverted part of me I never showed to the light before, and the time used to explore more what I needed to achieve was a blessing in disguise.
We all have that in us — the will and longing to find our calling. Take some time away from your daily routine and ask yourself now: what is the one thing you really wish to achieve now? by 3 months? by a year? and by five years?
Type the answer down, start today, and keep reminding yourself of your goals whenever you felt drifted away towards your daily routine. Trust me: you got this!
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This post was previously published on Hello, Love.
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Photo credit: Ekaterina Bolovtsova