Life Coaching Tip: If you are exhausted and still adding more to your “to-do” list, I encourage you to stop and allow yourself time to breathe. You’ve designed your hectic, busy lifestyle, and you are the only one who has the power to change it. This is your one and only life, and, you deserve to be at the top of your “to-do” list!
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After taking a break from my walks to get my puppies adjusted, I was amazed at how easy it was to get out of the habit of my morning routine.
I mean, I sure missed starting my day off with Mother Nature at first, but before long, I had filled the hours with lots of other tasks. Some of these things were puppy-related, but soon I added work and household chores to my mornings as well.
At one point, I actually had the thought, “How can I possibly fit my walks back into my day?” before putting a halt on that nonsense!
Of course, I’m human and like so many others, I sometimes overvalue “productivity”, even at the expense of my own self-care. Many of us were brought up this way.
Fortunately, though, I’ve done a lot of work in this area and truly understand the importance of slowing down, being present in my life, and putting myself on the top of my list.
It’s not unusual for women to contact me for life coaching because they want to figure out how to be more efficient. They often believe that they’re not getting enough items checked off their “to-do” list. That they should be doing more.
- They should be better organized.
- They should lose 10 pounds.
- They should get up earlier and hit the gym.
- They should take on a larger workload.
- They should put in more overtime.
- They should, should, should…
The “should” list is endless, and it generates a ton of guilt and shame.
And so, when I tell these prospective clients that’s not what I do as a life coach, they’re often surprised. But, I’m not an accountability coach and I have no intention of shaming anyone into adding more to their overpacked lives.
I tell them that they could do these things, but there is just no should about it.
Continuing to add to our list of obligations, often to please other people, will only leave us feeling more drained, unfulfilled, and underwhelmed with life.
Yet, many of us have been conditioned to consider productivity a virtue, and so, we are busy by design.
We create lives where we are bouncing from one undertaking to the next, often doing ten things at once, and not having time to think (let alone feel).
And the chores on our list just keep piling up, year after year, pulling us further and further away from the true things that light us up.
This is why I encourage my clients to slow down, and be present with themselves. It’s difficult to know what you want for your life if you never take the time to be still. We all have a knowing deep down inside us, but we must quiet ourselves long enough to hear it.
And when my clients begin to tap into the whisperings of their soul, I am there to inspire them to trust themselves. I believe them when they tell me what they want, and I encourage them to put whatever supports their dream on the top of their “to-do” list.
And so, if you are lost in the exhausting world of shoulds, adding more and more items to your “to-do” list, but still feeling guilty that it’s not enough, I encourage you to stop and allow yourself time to breathe.
Sister, consider doing the opposite of what your brain is telling you to do and slow down!
If your life is busy by design, remember you are the designer. You created your hectic schedule, and you have the power to adjust it.
What if you set aside two hours this week to fill up your energy tank and get reacquainted with yourself?
Watch the sunset, go for a bike ride, browse at a farmer’s market, collect shells at the beach, read a book at the park… Whatever sounds fun and relaxing to you.
And if you’re thinking you can’t afford to give yourself the luxury of time, the truth is, you can’t afford not to.
This is your one and only life.
Get to know yourself better. You’re truly amazing!
And, you deserve to be at the top of your “to-do” list.
As for me, my morning walks (now with two puppies) are on the top of mine:)
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