Scrolling through social media, it is inevitable that you will come across some of these sayings-
Take Massive Action!
Work Harder
Daily Grind
How much action are you going to take this week?
Hustle!
You would think from all these memes that you’re the laziest person in the world and need a kick in the *ss.
But, you and I know that isn’t true.
Since you and I are alike and I know you’re like my clients, hustling isn’t the issue. You’ve got that down. You’re driven. You want a better life for yourself and your family. You’re interested in self-improvement. You have an open mind. You love doing new things and are always on the look out for new innovative ideas that will improve your business, creativity, and productivity.
The bigger issue for you is-
When to slow down
Every week you have your To-Do List. You wake up and as soon as your feet hit the floor, you’re running.
You’re continually thinking, “How can I improve this, make this easier, be better, more efficient, healthier, make more money, get this done faster, come up with new ideas, accomplish this goal, etc.”?
The cacophony of movement clouds your intentions. You start to lose sight of what you’re working towards. You start to think, “Is this still what I really want?”
“Am I moving in the right direction?”
In the thick of it, its hard to see, feel, and know.
All the memes would tell you- If you work harder, then you’ll figure it out.
How’s that working for you?
My guess? Mmmmm…. not so good.
You feel overtired, snippy, uninspired, chubby, achy, needing caffeine, and dying for a vacation you can’t take because you have so much to do.
Ironically, the one thing you need is so counterintuitive it makes your skin crawl.
It’s quiet time to do nothing.
Did you just snort out loud in contempt?!
Probably. But, that’s ok.
The Break
Recently, I took a social media break that made my palms slick and raised my heartbeat.
Actually, the break was forced upon me due to a lack of cellular and internet service on a trip to the Adirondacks of NY. I wasn’t prepared for it mentally. I thought, sure I’ll go away for a few days. I can work from anywhere! Because, of course I would work while I was traveling.
My business is online. What if I took time off and lost revenue?! What if I missed something?! What if a client slipped through an Instagram post? Ahhhhh! What would I be without a million updates to digest?!
Ends up, after a few days, I was fine. I was more than fine. I was in heaven!
As soon as I stepped out of the car and saw this amazing view, my body broke. (In a very good way.)
I had all these plans with my fabulous host to hike, kayak, swim, do yoga, go boating, and take every single advantage of the area to explore its rich history and nature.
Instead, my body and mind decided otherwise. They conspired together, scrambled cellular connectivity, and whispered, “Annick… Slooooow down. Waaaaaaaay down. Can you give a little more?”
What could I do, but heed the call? I ditched ‘doing’ everything, including work, for ‘being’ in the present– on vacation.
I went for a few leisure walks, did some yoga, and noodled around the lake on a floaty. I didn’t break a sweat once.
I spent one rainy day sitting on the boat house dock drinking coffee and journaling. The majority of time was spent sitting quietly in an Adirondack chair, ironically, and contemplating all the surrounding beauty while not thinking about anything in particular.
It felt so good to be free of all social media. Life slows down a lot when we look up from our phones.
I wasn’t running away from anything or dealing with any big issues. It just ended up that I needed a break. A BIG HUGE mental and physical break.
You might be anticipating that this is the part where I tell you about the breakthrough I had that changed the course of my life.
Sorry to disappoint, but there was in fact- no breakthrough.
In the slowing down, there was a sense of peace, awe of nature, expansiveness, deep appreciation, and rest.
These are not feelings that I feel daily while in the hustle. I might feel some of them sometimes, but rarely all at the same time. Thus, I was quite happy to wrap myself within them for a few luxurious days.
[Tweet “We don’t always have to accomplish goals to feel rewarded.”]I came back from this unexpected vacation with renewed vigor.
In the “doing nothing”, something began to form. Something that didn’t have the space to be created in the “massive action” of daily life.
Do I know what it is? No. I may not know for a while. And, that is ok.
I can feel the creativity bubbling up, forming…
The Challenge
I challenge you this week to think about this. Instead of taking MASSIVE ACTION and beating yourself up that you aren’t accomplishing enough on any given day, consider taking a break. When you feel the busiest, that is when you need it the most.
It doesn’t have to be a full vacation. It can be as short as a 15min sit your butt in a chair right in your back yard and do nothing.
You’ll probably spend the first 5-7min wiggling around and reaching for your phone.
I promise if you can give in and let go, the rewards will be infinite. You will feel it in your attitude, health, creativity, and productivity.
How awesome is that?!
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A bientôt,
Annick