Try Unlearning

In yoga, a teacher often says that if you feel a sharp, shooting pain, it means your body is telling you to back off because you are likely overdoing something, like I was when I over-rotated my elbows in locust pose, causing a sharp pain in my forearm. I had to unlearn the posture after being quite good at it for years. But, unlearning was hard; it felt like I wasn't doing anything, and it was exactly what I needed.

Unlearning is the process of letting go of outdated or limiting beliefs and knowledge to make space for new perspectives. It's essential for growth, adaptability, and achieving your full potential. Unlearning can be challenging, but it's a continuous process that allows us to thrive in a constantly changing world.

I left my high-paced corporate job last year and transitioned into a few months of sloth mode to unlearn patterns that were quite baked in, even though they didn't serve me anymore. I was quite intentional about my unlearning at many levels - emotional, physical, mental, professional, personal. I had just one rule: do not start anything new, do not take on any new commitments. Pausing and all the insecurity I felt for not "doing stuff", the blank calendar, the silence of slack/emails, was in fact my rite of passage. We are programmed to act, so pausing and inaction could feel uncomfortable but I discovered my tribe of many others who were doing the same and we shared the mutual joy of pausing and exchanged tips on unlearning.