Nudged: Jump Rope

When I was brainstorming possible Nudges, I made a list of activities I loved doing as a child, and I highlighted some I hadn’t done in a long time. I remembered dashing out to the blacktop for recess to jump rope with a bunch of pals–so fun! Have I still got the skills?

You might pull out an old game, bake a favorite treat, or dress up in all the colors of the rainbow. Wear a funny hat, dust off and lace up your rollerskates, or stream that animated movie that made you giggle back in the day.

Recapture a bit of your youth and delight yourself!

What Happened: Got an F on this assignment. My rope never made it off its hook in the closet.

Why?

I thought about it. I put it on my to-do list. I told myself “It will take just 10 minutes!” And I never got it done.

Busy, distracted, a little depressed. Unmotivated, busy, distracted. (Repeat.)

The Ah-Hahs: At one point late in the week, I wondered if the “lesson” in this Nudge is that it’s time to let go of childhood toys. I have been doing a lot of decluttering of once-precious items, so maybe my rope needs to join those other things in the bag destined for Goodwill.

But I wasn’t convinced. It didn’t feel right. Not yet.

I wish I had spent less time beating myself up over all of the above this week, and I’m giving myself some grace today. You know, I don’t have to “perfectly” complete all of these Nudges. Sometimes I pass. Sometimes I’m led in a completely unexpected direction. Sometimes I need to just let it all go and give myself a break from doing-doing-doing.

With that in mind, I’m looking forward to a mellow and restorative long weekend.

P.S. If you did follow through with this Nudge and revisit an old childhood activity, I’d love to hear about it. Please share in Comments.