I know I am!
But why do we do this to ourselves, and what can we do about it?
Last week I found myself thinking a lot about this and wanted to share my thoughts because I bet you might be guilty of this in some area of your life too.
I made the decision to leave the corporate world to be my own boss. I wanted to follow my passion while protecting one of my core values; Freedom.
Yet for some reason, last week, I caught myself putting so much pressure on myself to be behind my computer working during every single bit of downtime I had. My house was a mess, I was exhausted, and I was totally annoyed with myself. My freedom value was being violated, and I felt out of alignment. This was not what I signed up for!
So where does this unnecessary pressure come from?
The answer to this question will likely vary from person to person, but in my case, here is what I’ve learned.
I have always struggled just to sit still. Being an Enneagram type 3 comes with a double-edged sword. It says that I feel most fulfilled when I am busy, and when I’m not, I find something to do. Sitting around doing nothing is not an option for me! And I can confirm that this assessment is 100% accurate.
But that couldn’t be the only reason. And it wasn’t.
I am my own worst enemy. As an entrepreneur starting out, this story in my mind tells me, “You need to do more. You should be busier. You can’t take a day off. Aim higher. Work harder. You have to hustle.” Again, not what I signed up for when I made my career shift!
I wanted flexibility. I wanted freedom. I wanted to have my own agenda.
I wanted to experience more calm in my life.
After much thought, I asked myself…
What would happen if you gave yourself permission to take a day off during the week?
What would happen if you took that day to get stuff done around the house or simply relax?
What would happen if you weren’t behind your computer at every moment of downtime?
The answer is simple. I’d show up as a better person, have time for reflection, and I would charge my batteries for the important work! I’d have a clean house and groceries done so the weekends would be open for more fun stuff. I’d be off the daily grind hamster wheel I lived on for many years!
So that’s what I’ve implemented. A day off during the week for myself. A day without guilt! Now this may be a work in progress, but I guess my message here is this:
We need to challenge ourselves, our thoughts, and our actions.
We need to take inventory of what we are doing with our time.
We need to get real and honest with ourselves about our needs and start putting ourselves first.
What stories are you telling yourself?
Where in your life are you putting unnecessary pressure on yourself?
How is unnecessary pressure serving you?
What would happen if you gave yourself permission to remove that unnecessary pressure?
The truth is, nobody would care if I took a day off. My family would probably be happy because they would have a zen wife and mother.
I am learning a lot about productivity and efficiency and now realize that downtime is necessary to fuel us and get our creative juices flowing.
Your scenario might be different, but please challenge yourself wherever you feel you are putting that pressure on yourself. Not everyone needs to blow up their week to take a day off. Perhaps it’s setting a boundary with someone. Or maybe it’s waking up 15 minutes earlier to have a cup of coffee alone in peace. Whatever it is, if you think about it, it means it’s important.
We are our worst critics, so it is essential to ask ourselves these questions. Because at the end of the day, feeling overwhelmed and carrying extra pressure does nothing for us!
So now, let me ask you:
What are you willing to change for yourself starting today?
What are you going to stop doing?
How will you hold yourself accountable?
And do me a favour and please, BE KIND TO YOURSELF because YOU DESERVE IT!
I hope you found value in this post that can help you become the best version of yourself!
Please share this will someone who you think could benefit from this exercise.
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