The Ol’ Switcheroo Effect

It’s been a little while since I’ve blogged, but for those of you who don’t know, I ended my podcast.

Done. Finished. Moving on.
 
This week I felt like posting a blog.
 
About ending the podcast, this I know for sure : It was time. It was simply time.
 
I didn’t make a pros and cons list. I didn’t ask for anyone’s two cents. Instead, driving home a few weeks ago an eerily calm thought popped into my head: “this coming week’s episode will be my last.” What immediately followed was a wave of relief. That’s when I knew for sure it was time to shut the show down.
 
After posting my last episode, I received an outpouring of incredible e-mails from listeners all over the world and for them (and for you) I will be forever touched and thankful.
 
While I did (and do) feel sad, I still did not regret my decision.

This is what I want to write about here.
 
What I call “The Ol’ Switcheroo Effect.”
 
Since posting my final episode, I’ve found myself missing it and also having regular podcast ideas/topics come up, in response to which I’ll think: “cool, I’ll talk about that in next week’s episo-…oh wait…there isn’t a next week’s episode.”
 
And…I’m at a loss for what to do in place of the show. More time with family? One more YouTube video per week? Another book? More time on music? This blog?
 
Mostly I find myself feeling ungrounded, disconnected, and frankly a little bit floaty.
 
But, in a weird way, it kinda feels good…
 
Why? Because what I have found in the years I’ve been a Small Steps coach is that to achieve a fulfilling, happy, healthy life means intentionally shaking things up once in a while. It means sometimes breaking routines.
 
It’s not that routines can’t be super helpful. They can.
 
Routines can keep us on track, and free up some mental space for other things we want to do. For example, establishing a routine of healthy eating means I don’t have to think about food much, which in turn means more time and mental energy to devote to other parts of my life.
 
In fact, my podcast did become a routine. Every week for 222 weeks in a row—I’d record on Sunday or Monday, then edit and post Monday night. Never missed a single week. It was awesome. The routine of it kept me on track, consistent, and engaged. Had I pulled an “I’ll record when I feel like it” approach I’d never have gotten past the first few episodes. The routine kept me coming back to the microphone, allowed me to hone my approach, and to think up new ideas and new ways of communicating them. Simply stated, the routine I established was both crucial and essential in my becoming a better podcaster, small steps coach, and speaker. 
 
But then…
 
The routine itself began to drain me. I began to feel restless. I no longer felt as inspired. I felt both a little dread leading up to the next week’s episode, and huge relief each Tuesday morning, knowing I’d have six whole days before I had to do it again.
 
So here’s what I did….
 
I broke the routine.
 
Enter the “Ol’ Switcheroo Effect.”
 
The Ol’ Switcheroo Effect happens when we decide to break up the routines that are no longer working for us. When we choose to shake things up. When we intentionally switch things around. When we poke holes in our lives and then figure out new ways to fill them.

And, perhaps most importantly, the effect only happens when we do the hard and constant work on ourselves to develop the strength to be able to break the routines when the time comes.
 
The Effect?

New avenues of thought and creativity. New inspiration. New passion. New direction.
 
Yes, in the beginning the Ol’ Switcheroo Effect can leave us feeling lost and ungrounded.
 
But know this: we eventually feel the ground once again.