Unpause

Sunset on 99

In December 2010, I participated in the first and only Reverb. Through daily writing prompts, Reverb encouraged reflection on the past year. One of my favorite prompts from that activity was, and still is, “one word.” For this particular prompt, you choose one word or a simple phrase to help shape and guide your actions in the new year. I have chosen a word for each year ever since. I cannot, however, tell you what my words were for each year or if they helped in any way.

Clearly, choosing my “one word” for the year has worked very well for me. Ahem.

2011 was the Year that Started out Kind of Awesome then Started to Suck. 2012 was the Year of Suck. 2013 was the Year of All the Awesome Things. 2014 was the Year I Hit Pause. 2015 was the Year Everything Remained Paused then Quickly Fast-Forwarded at Warp Speed to the Present.

For 2016, I wanted to choose a word that encompasses my overall goal: to stop living on hold, to get back to business in the health department, to resume living normally, etc. At first, I tried to choose a word that was clever. No luck. Then I tried to choose an action word. They all sounded false or forced. Then I realized that I had already chosen my word for this year way back at the beginning of last year when I was extremely frustrated in my job search. My life was paused while I waited for anyone, anywhere to hire me so that I could get back to my normal life.

2014 and 2015 were paused, so it should be no surprise that I am choosing to unpause in 2016.

Yes, I know that, technically, unpause is not a real word. I also, technically, don’t care. It’s my word.

Everything has been on hold since the day I found out the company I was working for was closing in eight short days. At first, I continued to live normally because I really didn’t think it would take 16 months to get a full-time, permanent position. Oh how naïve I was. I am well educated. I have a lot of professional experience. I have great references. I also happen to be overqualified for the majority of the jobs available in my area. And I was afraid – afraid of making the wrong decision and hating my job, afraid of ending up at another company that would close only a year after I was hired.

As time wore on and I remained in (un)employment limbo, I began to subtract. I stopped planning to do anything that required knowing what I’d be doing in the next month, six months, or year. I tried to spend as little money as possible, knowing that savings accounts are not infinite and feeling guilt with every dollar spent. I stopped taking care of myself beyond the bare minimum because it, too, made me feel guilty, like I was wasting time and money that could be better spent.

Fast-forward.

At the end of June, I finally accepted a job that didn’t make me feel like I was making a huge mistake. Now it is five and a half months later, and I am still living as if my life is paused.

And that stops now.

Do you choose a word to help shape your goals for the year?


Posted

in

by

Tags: