Turn the ironing board into a surf board and get back out in the waves of living
I let Covid flatline the world around me and I existed within the limitation of where I had to be, how I had to behave, isolate, work from home, masks, a world of restrictions and rules for two years. Being safe.
The dreaming, planning, and the adventures stopped. Suddenly there was nothing. I looked around at Christmas, and realised I was lying on my ironing board, not a surf board. Staring at the carpet, the walls in my home, the same colours, nothing moving. Safe.
I had allowed the Covid situation set up an ugly habit, I had stopped dreaming, setting goals, and living vibrantly.
I was living in a state of limbo, as if I was waiting for permission to get on a surfboard and get in the water to play, to have fun, to breathe and be with people.
I staked out one new goal, then I asked a friend to be my coach and support me slowly adding on smaller goals every few weeks.
As my coach says it isn’t learning any new skills, it’s about remembering what I once did, exercising the old muscles, replacing the habit that turned my surfboard into that damned ironing board.
I actually don’t own an iron, so I am highly motivated to get rid of it.
It’s taking one step at a time, one goal with achievable actions and an accountability partner or coach as I am good at wriggling out of keeping my word to myself.
I take myself out on dates to nice cafes for breakfast and dinner when I work away from home as opposed UberEats. Simple things to enjoy being in the world again with people instead of looking at everyone like they are big Covid germ machines.
It has taken a lot of effort to go out and stay out, not go back inside those four walls and hide in peace in solitude where it is “safe”.
As I really detest ironing it will keep me motivated to stay off the ironing board now I recognise what has happened — I can’t un-see it now.
