Where are you bored in your life?

That is the question. So how would you answer it?

I just finished reading Cheryl Richardson’s new book called “Waking up in Winter” – a wonderful read that talks to her journey at midlife and the things she has learned about herself along the way.

One key thing stood out for me – it jumped off the page when she wrote about a visit she had with her close friend Debbie Ford prior to her passing. Debbie told Cheryl to “stop doing things that bore you”.

This statement stopped me in my tracks and here is why.

For the last, let’s say two-ish years I did not feel like myself at all in one area of my life. I had gone through a ton of changes for many years prior to that – a lot were amazing and uplifting, but I had reached an apex where I felt unsettled and uncomfortable with myself in this one area.

It was easy but felt mundane. I was pushing one foot in front of the other, running on empty, with my spirit slowly seeping out of me.

My get up and go had got up and went.  

After reading that statement in the book, I realized that what was really going on with me was that I was so very bored by it all. What used to jazz me up did not do the trick anymore. No wonder I was dragging my feet with each day passing without any sense of personal fulfillment.

A lot of time has passed since I was in that situation and I have moved onto doing some really cool stuff that lights me up and makes me feel more alive, but the question still needs to be answered if I am to continue to grow as a person. I want to feel lit up and jazzed about what I am up to, not bored.

Where are you bored in your life?

When we ask ourselves where are we bored in our life, it is a question that may bring up things that we might not want to know about ourselves, the stuff we already know deep down but deny to ourselves. The things that we are uncomfortable thinking about because if we really do think about it, it means that change is in the wind for us. It is cause and effect. Once it has been seen, you cannot un-see it.

Where are you bored in your life? It’s the perfect question to aid in our quest for becoming more self-aware and open the door for us to rejuvenate ourselves.

We may be bored with what we are reading; what we eat; how we move our bodies; where we live; a friend may bore us; our job; our romantic relationships. Are you bored with a story you keep telling yourself – like “I can’t do X because of my past experience with Y?

Consider the implications of the question. Does it scare you to even think about asking it of yourself? If so, then you really need to ask yourself the question. Where have you been denying yourself and your inner knowing that something is “off” with your life?

What are you ignoring about your life that you actually already know?

What will come up for you if you really dig in and ask yourself What am I bored in my life?

The answers will show you where you need to make changes in order to alleviate that boredom.

The changes may be scary to contemplate. It may mean you need to pursue a new career that would be more personally fulfilling for you, or figuring out whether the relationship that bores you is about the person or perhaps you need to have deeper conversations with them to bring you closer together. Maybe it’s time for you to inject more fun into your life by changing a routine that you know sucks the life out of you (hello mindless scrolling) or change up the food you are eating. You will know what you need to adjust. After all, if you don’t change what bores you, you will continue to be… bored.

As we move through midlife transition, we may sense that boredom is at the crux of how we are feeling. The general sense of malaise that can come over us as we examine what we have always done, how we have been participating in our lives and find it lacking.

We want more for ourselves and with that realization comes the understanding that we are at the helm of our lives and the only way to shake off that boredom is to bring new ways of being into our lives so that we can feel more alive, engaged and personally fulfilled.

Take some action

Try something new – take a class in a topic that really interests you – travel to a country you have always wanted to go to – meet some new people – remove toxic relationships from your life. Those are just a few ideas.

It has been said by many people smarter than I am that in order for us to feel more alive, we must seek to do the things that excite us, and frighten us as well.

Facing up to our fears is the most empowering thing we can do for ourselves. @sarahfinney (Click to Tweet!)

So, I’ll ask it again…

Where are you bored in your life?

Sarah Finney is a certified life coach, writer and teacher who helps women create fulfilling, purposeful lives by getting crystal clear on what is possible for them. She empowers women to reclaim their voices and make empowered choices that are aligned to their core set of values. After spending 25+ years as a marketing expert in a corporate capacity, Sarah chose to listen to the whisperings of her own soul and discovered Who She is NOW.  She reimagined her life and has dedicated herself to helping women define the heart of what is possible and dispel beliefs that have held them back, enabling them to lead lives that are full, gratifying and true to who they really are. Find out more at www.sarahfinneycoaching.com or connect with her on: Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram.

Image courtesy of Anemone123.