JOANNA CAREW

In my last post I committed to consistency, and it’s important to recognise the transformative power is derived from committing to BEING rather than committing to doing.

How many time have we pledged to diet, exercise, drink less alcohol etc, starting with gusto and only to slide back to our old habits when life gets in the way. That is a failed commitment to doing.

A Commitment to Being

A commitment to being on the other hand, is working out who you are and who you aspire to be. If you commit to showing up and being that person then the doing behaviours naturally follow because you are the type of person that does the activities on your tick list.

I’ve had a deeply restorative week living in this new world of knowing who I am, it is like all the ‘should’s’ have fallen away and I just am. I feel calm, safe, and serene. So, I wanted to share this part of my journey with you, perhaps you already have experienced these feelings, or would like to?

Your Code

If you haven’t got a clear sense of who you are, or who you would like to commit to being, how do you work it out?

On the Elite Dental Leaders course, Sameer and Hassan, taught us to look inside ourselves and find core values that resonate at the deepest level. Values that if we bury, or act against, leave us feeling uneasy and conflicted. This meant going right back to childhood, and exploring the experiences that have shaped how we look at the world, and the values we attached along the way.

Having explored your life journey you’ll be able to identify recurring themes and values and start to develop a list of key words that describe values intrinsic to you. Then you shrink this down to the top 10 values that shine above all others: Hassan called this the Code.

The values in the Code are those you will choose to live by. They are always there to guide you, so you can check in, see how you’re feeling and living, ensure you’re being true to yourself, and not behaving in ways that conflict with the Code.

After spending many hours identifying my values and where they originated, I have now written my Code. Having struggled with identity and spent years conflicted by trying to conform to other people’s visions of me, and perceived societal norms, this was the most liberating of exercises!

I am proud to hold this Code, of my values, and to pledge to live by them. Here goes, this is my Code:

Integrity

Openness

Non-conformity

Fairness

Hard work

Kindness

Curiosity

Playfulness

Passion

Conscientiousness

My Purpose Statement

Following on from identifying your Code comes the purpose statement: What are we living for?

I couldn’t commit to being without identifying both how I want to live (my Code) and what I am living for (my purpose). The two go hand in hand. So under the guidance of Hassan and Sameer, I have written my own purpose statement, which is to:

Connect compassionately as we journey to rewrite our stars 💫

This is incredibly personal to me, and by living with purpose it is pushing me to go the extra mile with everything I do. Consistent marginal gains as I check in with my Code and purpose statement.

Consistently What?! Values + Purpose

So far I haven’t waivered from my commitment to being, I can’t imagine stepping back from it now as it feels like I’m home. It’s difficult to describe; maybe I’d call it an inner peace?? It is bringing me into the present and gently realigning my priorities. As an atheist, realist, Tory, this all sounds a little fluffy to me, but it is genuinely life-changing!

There are many different areas of my life that will become more streamlined as a result of consistency, so I have prioritised the changes I am implementing to my everyday life – I’ll draft further posts with details for anybody who would like to know more.

First, I needed to improve my overall health and wellbeing; diet, exercise, sleep habits, doom-scrolling tendencies etc. This has been my primary focus as I don’t think you can be consistent if your wellbeing is fluctuating constantly due to poor habits.

Next, is starting to consider my interpersonal anxiety. It follows that if I know who I am, and love and trust in my Code and purpose, then I have already started on the path to overcoming my crippling social anxiety. I’ve been reading on the subject, trying things out, and can’t wait to share my progress with you.

Third, is a consistent work routine. I am still tinkering with this as I first hone my new wellbeing routines. However, I am now working with others as accountability partners, and finding my productivity is increasing. There is still a way to go and I can not wait to find my way to consistency here too. Imagine committing to posting blogs at xx time on xx day and hitting the target every time! Watch this space!

Thank You

Before I sign off I just wanted to thank you for reading my posts and interacting with me. I only have a small audience, but love all of the discussions around the posts and especially hearing about your journeys. Thank you, truly xxx