The ‘Shoulds’…
Consistency. Hands up who does things regularly when they know they ‘should’? For me, it’s what’s involved in building a business, as well as a life where I can be my own boss. It’s also the daily exercises from my physio so I’m not in constant pain. Probably drinking more water than I do every day. And going to bed at a ‘sensible’ time…
These are just a few examples of doing things that aren’t hard, will make my life better, don’t actually take that much time, and yet, I still reach for the excuse pile.
The ‘I wants’…
But it’s insane! I don’t want to be in pain. I want to be able to move when I’m 60 and to be able to do what I want then. I want the freedom to be able to take a day off just because and to make women’s lives better.
The ‘I don’ts’…
So why don’t I do these things? Full disclosure – I do. But not always consistently. Sometimes my get up and go and gets up and has gone! I’m tired. I don’t want to. There’s something else I’m doing which means I can’t do everything. I’m human…
The Comparison…
It’s really easy to get caught up with looking at people on-line who seem to be ‘go, go, go’ and I’m exhausted merely looking at them! People who are so locked into what they’re doing, that it’s hard to imagine them ever slacking off.
The self-compassion…
I am not one of those people! I like my sleep (especially this time of year, when it’s darker longer and my duvet is warm and toasty!). I like having some balance in my life. Yes, I could do more, but I do work full time and I want to be able to switch off sometimes and just have some fun.
The discipline…
And that’s OK. It’s having the discipline to lock-in at certain times, and be focussed. To not give myself a hard time if I’m not feeling it, but knowing at times I will have to push through regardless.
The one small thing…
And another way is to remind myself of my big goals and that I’m building a life towards them. And maybe just sitting down and doing one thing. For 5 minutes. After which, I’ve started and want to carry on, or I’ve done my five minutes and I can stop. But knowing I’ve shown up for myself.
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And guess what? You’re also human! There’s a constant state of busyness now, which I don’t remember from 5 or even 10 years ago. We’re always on the go. Always having to do something. And then feeling guilty when we choose to sit and watch Strictly over that to-do list which never goes down.
The 5:1 Challenge…
The good news is that it’s easy to adopt the ‘Just 5 minutes, just 1 thing’ mindset. And if you want some support with this, look out for a (free!) challenge I’m launching next month (and starting January 1st) which is all about this. And if you can’t wait until then, reach out and I’d love to help you reframe what you’re telling yourself, so you can reach your goals, but enjoy the process.