Saturday, November 26, 2016

Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing?

Years ago I went to some training around team building and the various stages  groups go through before they are a well running unit. The four stages are forming, storming, norming, and performing. I don't know about your life, but the various teams I've been a part of have been so dynamic in recent years, they never seem to get beyond the storming part when someone resigns, moves to a different project and the cycle starts all over again. I get it the four stages, but perhaps it is a bit antiquated in the professional world now. 

I think about this analogy time to time though in my personal life lens in trying to establish and work towards my goals. It has been a slow train in even forming my inner team of resources since deciding on my job change two years ago. I know my focus need to be health, relationships, financial stability, organization and personal growth, not necessarily in that order. I think I may be getting there. However, the storming part feels like it has been in full gear. Deaths, illness, financial strain, job instability, and stress with extended family has all taken its toll on the normalizing I long for. I'm not even yet thinking what life will be like if I am performing as I would like. 

But then again, maybe this is  total crap analogy and our lives don't fit into motivational speaker boxes. Maybe life is in constant flux and I need to just grab what works, weather the storms, and realize normal is not well, normal. The major down side of recuperating for an extreme introspect like me, is that without the physical chaos, my mind just thinks, and thinks, and doesn't shut down. Will we be able to retire within 10 years? Will DD get into a college of her choice and will we be able to afford it? Are the grown up kids happy in their lives? Is DS going to settle down with a regular sort of job, or will he live his hand to mouth lifestyle indefinitely? Is DD1's boyfriend right for her? Is she happy? Can I just spend time with my in laws and let all the snarkiness roll off me?  It never end in my brains.

Today I hope to just DO. Christmas eve is four weeks from today, and while I don't want to stress about what should be getting done, creating a list and carrying it out will be just what I need to get out of my own head. I'm tackling laundry and other basic house chores, and hope to focus tomorrow on decorating the house. I have four weeks of "normal" again when DH, DD2, and I are back to our home, work, school extra curricular routine. Normal, whatever that is, I'm looking forward to you. 

4 comments:

  1. What's that saying -- life is what happens when you're busy making other plans? I like to plan but more often than not those plans have to be VERY flexible! Or I make them and then promptly forget about them.

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    1. I like having a game plan but hope to not derail my own good intentions by being too rigid.

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  2. I am happy to be busy but cannot deal with having to-list stuff "rattling around in my head", so I am a list-maker through and through. I don't keep stuff on my phone - I keep a paper diary and use up the (tons) of scrap paper we have at work to keep my lists. Otherwise I would just go nuts and never sleep. My kids laugh at me as everything is kept on their phones - each to his own I guess. Anna

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    1. I send myself emails as lists and reminders but also like back of envelopes.

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