Let’s face it, we’ve all got a lot on our plates and that’s not likely to change anytime soon. Dealing with your Stuff is important and necessary, but it’s not the whole picture when it comes to Simplifying. It takes two things to keep your life from being too complex, overwhelming and out of control.
The two things you need to squash overwhelm and have the peaceful, calm, and put-together life you crave on a continuous basis are SYSTEMS and PERSISTENCE.
The two reasons you, and I, and lots of people I work with get overwhelmed are:
1. Every task has the same due date — NOW! and the same priority level —SUPER URGENT!
2. Getting stuff accomplished is linked to feeling everything from OK to worthy to lovable.
Today we’ll tackle #2, because if you don’t learn to put yourself into the equation of your life, no new task management system is going to work for very long.
Let’s get something straight: you are not your doings. You are not your completed task list, extra hour at work, or the roles you play.
NONE of these things has anything to do with your worthiness or lovability. If you’ve been confusing accomplishment — achieving and performing — with lovability, or you’ve been continually setting the bar higher and higher, no matter how much you do achieve, then you are not alone.
But you are mistaken.
So if you feel like you’re always pushing yourself to do more, work harder, be better, just stop already. You’re already enough. And I know there is something you can let go of, delegate, forget about, or ask for help with. There’s some little tiny shift you can make in your constant, hypercritical urgency.
Once you loosen your grip on your endless list, tap into the real secret to the real Secret to Simplifying:
The Secret to Simplifying: Manage Your ENERGY, Not Your TIME.
Your time is all filled up and you’re crazed and exhausted all the time because you’ve filled up your schedule based on the number of waking hours in a very long day, rather than considering your basic self care needs, such as eating relaxed, healthy meals, getting some exercise, contemplative time, play, and adequate rest.
Next week I’ll give you my step-by-step system of how to get off the hamster wheel of never-good-enough, but first, set the stage for success with this week
s Simplifying Challenge:
Simplifying Challenge #3: Include your own self care and meeting your own basic needs as you manage your energy, not your time.
I’d love to hear from you! What’s one way you’ll take care of yourself this week? Drop me a line in the comments section, below.
All My Best,
Annie
P.S. Reminder to local friends: My BIG SALE is Saturday, October 4th, 8am – 2pm!