Growing up in south Texas, my family took a trip to the beach every single summer.  Typically, we traveled with some family friends and every now and then would bring along other friends or cousins.  We stayed at the same condo every year, with the swimming pool that we weren’t’ allowed to swim in during the afternoon until it was shaded by the building’s shadow.  We would spend mornings and evenings on the beach, making sand castles and running through the waves.  It was pretty glorious, and I absolutely cherish the memories my family made there.

More recently, my family took a trip to Colorado.  There were many logistics involved in planning the trip--the 16 hour car ride, where to stay, what to do, what to eat, what to pack, etc.  From the time I announced to Matt a few weeks earlier—“let’s go to Colorado!”, I had this great excitement that came from the thought of a change of scenery, exploring a place we had never been, and gifting our children this same experience.  When I imagined the sense of freedom and adventure we would experience, I could feel the excitement in my body, as my heart pounded and my head whirled with ideas of all of the fun we would have as a family.  Perhaps this forward-looking dreaming carried an even greater meaning, as COVID had mandated so much of our time be spent at home.  As much as we love home, the stifled feeling was making us weary.

This concept of using anticipation as a source of coping and a tool to break out of monotony is not a new one.  New Years’ resolutions, anyone?  We dream of the year ahead and all that we might accomplish.  Does anyone else become giddy over a brand-new spiral notebook or journal?  All the possibilities for within those blank pages.  A freshly promised “I do”.  The beginning of a school year.  A new job.  A positive pregnancy test.  A new home. 

When we intentionally fill up our brain space with anticipation—hope of a positive outcome—there is less room for negativity.  Let me repeat that:  when we intentionally fill up our brain space with the hope of a positive outcome, there is less room for negativity.  We all know that there might be poor outcomes—can we look around at the year 2020?  Hello, COVID.  None of us anticipated this is what 2020 would look like, and that’s ok.  The reality is, even as we anticipate the goodness of things, the ROI isn’t always the same as we imagined.  The key here is maintaining control over our thoughts.  The negative will creep in, but we can use anticipation as a key factor to persevering in our daily life. 

Try it.  I dare you.  And be sure to let me know how it goes!  allison@redefinedmotherhood.com