Have you ever felt as though you are like Phil Conners (Bill Murray) in the 1993 movie Groundhog Day? The title of the film has now become part of the English lexicon to represent an uncomfortable and repetitive life situation. How many of us have felt as though our lives are/were somewhat Groundhog Day – esque, or essentially a loop of time that doesn’t seem any different than the prior day(s) or what we can expect of future days? I used to wake up very early every day to get ready for work, only to find my internal dialogue saying to me, “It’s time to make the donuts.” Another day that is essentially the same as yesterday, and many days before that. After all, being a multi-unit restaurant director of operations is what I knew, and the only ‘job’ in which I felt as though I could excel. It was also the only role I felt I could perform in order to make the income I had come to expect for my lifestyle.
Once I woke up that one day, as Phil Conners does on February 3rd in the movie, I felt a new sense of freedom that I had not felt in many years. I was free to explore new opportunities that I didn’t even know existed. I didn’t know what I was going to do in terms of having a ‘JOB’ to pay my bills, or be able to continue to contribute to my retirement investment account, which was very scary, especially at the ripe old age of 55. Once I made the choice to get out of my comfort zone, everything in life changed for the better. For the first time in my adult life, I moved my residence because I wanted to, and not because my employer told me where I should/could live in order to do my job, and receive a paycheck.
Thus far, that choice I made has paid handsome dividends in terms of my mental and physical health. All of this because I stepped out of the time loop, and out of my comfort zone. It was very scary for a while, to be 100% honest. There were plenty of restless nights in which my brain wouldn’t shut down, playing out all of the scenarios, both positive and negative. I am happy to say that the day I made that choice became the first day of the rest of my life, much like February 3rd in the movie, when Phil’s time loop ends.