The Dog-Shake trick of moving on
Just as our canine pals shake off excess water, I will let go of 2022's setbacks and enter the new year with renewed optimism.
I will be frank: I hold on to grudges as a panda holds on to a bamboo. That’s why I move forward a little slower than the rest. An annual review, for example, is something that people do in December of each year. Not me. I excessively ruminate on past events, hold myself accountable for setbacks, selectively omit positive memories, and prolong my annual review until January of the new year, like this one itself.
I wanted to change my tendency to delay work that happened due to my overthinking into a negative spiral. I tried something very different this new year in my quest to move on with gratitude instead of a grudge. Some may see it as eccentric, but for me, it is effective.
Let me quickly tell you what led to grudges in 2022. Exactly one year ago, in January 2022, I was looking for a different role. With the help of my team, we delivered high-impact projects and received praise from all the leaders. Who wouldn't climb a tree of hope after receiving so much encouragement?
However, this is what transpired finally: in the fourth quarter of 2022, the macroeconomic crisis disrupted my department's projects and postponed any role changes. Hopes were raised and then shattered.
A deep analysis ensued in my brain for hundreds of hours. Every conversation revolved around how unfair life had been after everything I had done.
The fact is that we can only do our bit. The final result will also depend on chance and external factors. We are all aware of this, yet it's challenging to put it into practice when the situation arises
One day, when I was again in the middle of the what-could-have-been rabbit hole, I thought I just needed to get out of this rut right now. With this thought, I rose up and began yanking off my hands, as if trying to shake off the negativity physically. It felt amazing. So I began shaking off the rest of my body also. Something like this wet dog shake
It immediately felt better. The playful actions of the body started affecting the brain, nudging it in a positive direction. The more I shook, the more happy memories started coming back.
Then I remembered Sumo, my pet dog from my childhood. He would do this shake after a bath that he did not want or a roll in a muddy puddle that he very much wanted. If we reprimanded him, he would show his cute guilty face. However, as soon as we would stop, Sumo would also stand up, shake it off, and carry on carefreely.
As the happy memories flooded my being, I started listing them out. This list outnumbered the grudge list by a factor of ten. Some of the highlights of my gratitude list are -
I could follow my habit-tracker and do 66% of my target daily activities (I have written about this method here)
I was called the “best stakeholder manager” of the company in a leadership meeting. I have penned down my approach here.
I learned customer insights firsthand by doing 200+ projects. This is a great thinking skill for Marketing-leaders, especially in an AI era where most work is getting increasingly automated.
I learned google-sheet scripting. Even though it's an archaic skill, it was thrilling to automate the systems for fun.
I took 5 short family vacations this year, spending quality time with my kid and aging parents.
I took a painting workshop and made several beautiful paintings for my home.
I took a writing course and took my first-ever blog live.
I played my first-ever Candy Crush game and learned about the gaming industry. Now I have a new time pass, and a new domain to explore professionally.
Looking at my list of new experiences in 2022, I could only be grateful. My resentment toward 2022 vanished into thin air.
Next time I'm stuck with feelings, I'm going to do some zoomies. I will not hesitate to find a 2-square-foot space and start shaking like my dog. I could make it into a dance, jog, or run, like an excited dog. Eccentric, but effective.
With this new solution in my quiver of self-help tricks, I am shaking off the past and marching on merrily to the adventures of 2023. After all, what’s life without new dreams, hopes, and excitement?
Happy New Year 2023!
Image Sources:
https://giphy.com/explore/wet-dog
https://www.alphapaw.com/blog/dancing-dog-memes/
LOVELY, cute, playful, yet honest, authentic, and hard hitting. Happy 2023 you cool cat (cool dog would just sound bad) Charu <3
PS: love to see you finding your new writing style and voice! What a banger of an essay.
This really flows! Beautiful images plus lots of accomplishments, your 2022 is definitely a blast! Can't wait to hear about your 2023 already!