Cycle trick to making a big leap in life

My Hormonology

Cycle trick to making a big leap in life

 

During Week 2 of your cycle (the week leading up to and including ovulation), you have more courage and confidence to make a big leap in your life. You know, the kind that can change everything, like starting a new career, moving to a new city or leaving everything behind to backpack across the world.

This ability to take a dramatic leap in your Week 2 is a result of high-and-rising estrogen, which buoys optimism, mood, energy, bravery and impulsiveness–all key for diving headfirst into something totally new and untested despite the potential obstacles that await.

This kind of derring-do is useful when you’ve been stuck in a rut or have gone back and forth about a situation and simply haven’t had the guts to take action to make a drastic move.

Unfortunately, this kind of derring-do to make big moves is short-lived. Once your Week 2 is over and Week 3 arrives (the 8 days following ovulation), estrogen drops like a rock and play-it-safe progesterone rises, making you cautious all over again. Then, right behind that is your premenstrual Week 4 and its negative, worrywart mindset ready to convince you that no move you make will ever work out well.

Looking at your cycle this way, you can easily see why it can take a loooong time to finally move your butt on an important issue. The hormonal effects throughout your cycle seem to set you up for endless waffling.

So, how can you stop yourself from promising to make a life-altering change for the better–without retreating from it and putting it off yet again?

My husband had an idea for me as I was deciding to make a big leap–and I think it’ll work for you, too: Make a video of yourself while you’re in your high-confident Week 2 talking to all the other yous–your Week 3 you who’s cautious, your premenstrual Week 4 you who’s pessimistic and anxious, and your Week 1 you who’s feeling more optimistic, but hasn’t quite gotten up the courage yet to make that big move.

Tell them why it’s so important to make this move. Remind them of the benefits. And, while there will certainly be challenges ahead, reassure them that you got this. That you’ll come up with a Plan B, Plan C, Plan D and anything else that’s needed to make this major move work. Go through all the other times in your life when you did manage to make a dramatic change and it worked out for the better so that you’ll have more faith and trust in yourself (and the Universe or God or any other divine intervention you rely on).

Hearing your own inspiring, reassuring words when you’re feeling doubt and tempted to put off that big change can help you tap into the Week 2 confidence you need to keep moving forward.

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