Yes, I know there is a whole book about saying yes to new adventures, experiences, opportunities, people, jobs, you name it…find a way to say yes to it. Now, I never read that book but the title basically summed it up for me. This is my last blog post for my year of writing and I am thankful that when I saw an opportunity I put myself out there and said why not try…close enough to yes but you get my point. As people and especially as Residence Life and Housing professionals, we often let so much of life pass us by because we are too busy bogged down in the daily minutia of our work.
Let this be the year that you free yourself and make room for more and the ability to say yes.
Say YES to…
Personal Growth: Find a new hobby, sport or do something artsy this month
Career Development: Say yes to new projects, responsibilities, or roles at work. Say yes to a new conference (perhaps one outside of your region), events or other networking opportunities to meet some new people in the field. Connect with others in online forums and exchange ideas and concepts with one another.
Social Life: Say yes to creating or cultivating relationships with friends and acquaintances, even when you feel like staying in. Find people outside of your job to hang with. Perhaps this is easier said than done but there are ways. Say yes to volunteering in your area, that will open the door to some new people and help contribute to a cause that you care about.
Adventure: Say yes, first of all to using your hard earned PTO! Then say yes to a day trip to a new part of your state or say yes to an even further destination. Make room for spontaneous trips and adventures whether solo or with the friends you have met along the journey of life.
Overcoming Fears: Say yes to identifying what is holding you back from saying yes or doing the next great thing and challenge/lean into those fears appropriately. Provide yourself with a healthy balance of challenge and support!
Wellness and Self-Care: Say yes to taking care of your mental health and emotional wellbeing. Try a new fitness class, wellness activity or just go sit outside in the sun on the beautiful days and just reflect on life or just zone out. Either way, do what you need to do to keep you healthy and happy. Quick plug…don’t stay in toxic situations or relationships (work or otherwise) any longer than is needed.
Building Relationships: Say yes to deepening relationships and meaningful connections with those who love you and deserve your time and energy. You cannot pour from an empty cup so keep yourself full. Let your friends and family have what comes from the overflow. The more I spend time on Facebook the more I see desperate pleas for help from (typically a mom, as I am in lots of mom groups) looking to make new friends/wanting to connect with others in the area. Even as we age, we need good people around us. Say yes to putting yourself in situations where you can meet good people. Sometimes that looks like a FB posting and sometimes it looks like joining a local club or organization or even a kickball team (if that’s your thing).
At the end of the year look back on what you said yes to. What doors did it open? What new or deepened friendships were created? Think about how these experiences impacted your life and your professional journey. May this year of yes bring a renewed sense of purpose and adventure into your life. Saying yes can be a powerful catalyst for change, opening so many doors to experiences and relationships that hopefully will enrich your life.
What will you say yes to this year?
Thanks for reading this or any of my other blogs, it’s been a great year of expressing myself creatively and sharing a little bit about myself with you. Say yes to the little things, they matter the most!
