12 Steps to Revive Your Best Self (No Magic Required)
So… is this magic? Or is it math?
This was one of my favorite questions to ask 6th graders when reviewing their work with them. I wanted to catch them a bit off guard with my question, is there magic here? And then, I wanted my students to get re-centered in their own power and say, “No - there is no magic in math!”
There is no magic in math, and there is no magic in revival or transformation either.
Too many commercials, influencers, and the general smog of social media can convince me to dream of the Monday morning that I wake up and find that I am MAGIC. I’m no longer hungry, I can’t wait to run (ha!), and I soar through meeting after meeting totally present. But of the more than 12,000 mornings I’ve been blessed to wake up - I have never woken up and said, “hey! Today I’m MAGIC.”
So if you are also not magic, I’ve got a set of steps to help you feel revived without ever needing a wand (or hat, or cat, or cape).
Decide what you want to revive and be specific.
Too general: “My life.”
Starting to take shape: “Sense of confidence at work.”
Solid: “How I express myself at work.”
The strong answer that brings you to step two: “The way I speak my truth and sharing differing opinions aloud with my peers and manager.”
Consider the wildest, may never happen, ideal scenario of revival - what would you do to revive?
I would listen to understand the tenor of conversations and work around me, and never hesitate to put my stamp on something - agreeing wholeheartedly when I do, and sharing the questions I had about an idea when I disagreed. I would always do this in the moment - I would no longer spend time wondering why / how did or didn’t say something.
Consider the minimum bar you’d accept from yourself - what is the least you could do to get started?
I would decide to believe, “how are you?” is an authentic question and actually tell the truth about how I am whenever someone asked me.
CHOOSE a middle point to do this week.
No, don’t try to be magic and do the most, that’s not what we’re here for, remember?
Yes, you could do the minimum, but that won’t be REVIVING. Push just a bit further.
Identify your middle option that you’d be low-key proud of doing this week.
Do you have it? Magic lives in hypotheticals and we’re avoiding magic - we’re being real. Write that REAL, DOABLE, REVIVING puppy down!
I will share my true opinion or ask a question at least one time per meeting.
Identify the very first step you’d take to begin your doable goal - the very first step.
Here are some examples:
Nope: “Start disagreeing all the time!”
Nope: “Speak my truth!”
Yep: I will prepare ahead for my most important group-meeting and give myself the time to develop an opinion on what we’re doing so I can share it.
Yep: I will ask my boss for time to talk about 3 things I’ve noticed that I think could be better
Yep: I will start journaling my reactions to work and my team to track and share them
Check, have you chosen a first step that you can not only do, but SEE when it’s done? Revival starts with being able to see results.
Yes - I can get a journal to write down my thoughts, I can see on the page how I’m doing in writing down my truth and marking off if I’ve had a conversation about it.
Double Check, is this even a possible first step for you to achieve this week? If not, go on back to number 6, my friend.
Yes - I compulsively bought a cute journal at TJMaxx last week that I desperately need a use for. Good to go!
Triple Check, Is this reasonable for you to do right now, at this time?
Actually… No - I’m so back to back in meetings that I might not actually take the time to journal about my thoughts in the business of everything.
If you ever answer “no” for 7-9, then go back to #6 and try on as many different first steps as you need to until you can confidently answer YES.
Decide when you are going to go for it. Put that date on your date on the calendar.
DO IT!!! DO THE THING! YOU’VE GOT THIS!
Celebrate! You have given LIFE and MOVEMENT and maybe even SUNSHINE to something that previously was in a dark cave in your mind.
This is a revival. This isn’t small; it’s not insignificant; it is at once the raindrop and the ocean. You raised the bar from just thinking you should do something all the time to actually taking a step. Celebrate and do it again - your best self is waiting for you.
