Look Back to Learn and Savor
The past month or so was a tech nightmare for me. Could have been an extra-intense Mercury retrograde season, could have been the stress from the increasingly dire global geopolitical realities, could have been utterly meaningless and random occurrences, or something else.
In any case, the circumstances required devoting my time and focus to troubleshooting and testing and research and equipment shopping and installing, more troubleshooting, and so on, at the expense of much of the rest of my life. Deadlines got moved where possible, and I put in longer, tougher hours of work to catch up. Point is, because I have been in extra need of positive influences, I welcomed my Recap Routine.
Looking backward can become an essential creative habit. Here’s why it’s so important.
Practice Taking in the Good
We need to help our brains “take in the good,” as psychologist Rick Hanson puts it. Humans are wired to be more sensitive to noticing problems than to feeling satisfaction. So it’s easy to fall into the habit of blowing past the happy moments, accomplishments, feelings of connection with others, contentment, and so on. Our long-ago ancestors on the Serengeti needed to pay close attention to surviving, not celebrating. And we’re still inclined that way.
It takes a little extra work to remember, reflect on, and value the good things that happen. The Recap Routine is designed to make that extra work into a habit. Habits help us because they become unexamined once they’re in place. They work for us with no additional effort on our part.
What can you see in the rear view mirror when you look back?
Image from Pixabay
And habits can propel us toward the destinations we choose, conserving our energy and attention along the way.
Keeping up Isn’t Enough
As with any worthwhile enterprise, it’s easy to lose track of what’s working well when you’re scrambling to keep up.
Even if you plan like a champ, carve out – and use – the time for making your art, arrange the meetings you need, and stay connected with your people, you still may not feel caught up. What’s missing, often, are hindsight and appreciation.
Consider adding to your routine some or all of the following: At day’s end, jot down a few accomplishments (three or so is plenty); at week’s end, review your daily accomplishments and take time to celebrate them; at month’s end, do the same for the entire month.
The adaptively evolved hardwiring we all have operates from fear, isolates us, and looks for what’s wrong. It’s at work here as well, to the point that our brains actually don’t remember the good stuff – not unless we create a routine to celebrate it.
It’s amazing how much great momentum can build from regularly observing a recap routine.
Don’t allow your primitive survival brain to forget the joy, connections, and successes you’ve achieved. Celebrate them. Create routines you can count on that serve to accumulate your history of wins.
Here’s Looking (Back) at You
How do you want to structure your Recap Routine? Here’s a possible sequence.
- Pause at the end of your workday (maybe set a reminder) or at any moment that feels right.
- Pull out your journal or a notecard or sketchbook, or open up the app you prefer for note taking / voice memos.
- Close your eyes and breathe deeply for a moment or two.
- Cast your mind back over the day that is now coming to an end.
- Ask yourself: What are three good things that I experienced today? They can be anything at all – big or small. A refreshing glass of water. A conversation that was surprisingly satisfying. A problem solved with your current creative project. An article or news item that cleared up a question you’d been wrangling with. An idea that came to you in the shower. A quiet moment with a loved one. A terrific morning run or walk. Your first sighting of a rare bird. Praise from a coworker or client or boss. Satisfaction in your work today.
- As these things occur to you, record them in enough detail that you’re likely to remember them later.
- When you’re done, close your eyes again and take a few more deep slow breaths.
- Check in with yourself. Can you savor these good moments? Can you feel in your body the positive sensations and emotions that you experienced?
- Savor these feelings and anchor them into your present awareness.
Congratulations! You have completed your Recap Routine.
Little Backward Glances
You can sneak in little recaps along the way, too. These past weeks, as I was struggling to make tech work for me, I looked backward at odd moments, like when taking a meal break, or sitting with my cat. I didn’t always record anything, either; sometimes just pausing in appreciation can be as refreshing as a tall glass of water. (The practice oozed over into gratitude listmaking. Makes sense: Those three things went well, which reminds me it’s not all a #$%&-storm.)
With repeated practice, this Recap Routine will actually build new neural pathways. In future, you’ll be better able to remind yourself of what works in your life, even at moments when it doesn’t feel like much is working at all. You are training your brain to counterbalance its negativity bias with evidence of positive experiences that you have savored and stored.
Added bonus: From time to time, you can revisit your notes. Our brains really do tend to forget these things, so it can be a lovely, revivifying surprise to recall them again later. (Tip of the hat to a journaling practice, too, for this purpose.)
Note: Portions of this post are adapted from my handbook, FLOAT: Becoming Unstuck for Writers, and from a manuscript in progress.
Luna Project Update
Awakening Moon went up on April first – video and audio are here. If you want to know each time a new piece launches in honor of the next full moon, subscribe to my YouTube channel. To buy high-quality downloads of the music, please visit me on Bandcamp. Thanks to the readers who are offering support, encouragement, and good vibes! Next up, Bright Panther Moon on May Day.
Thanks for reading!
~ Anne