I’m talking to you but I’m also talking to myself. If you’re like me, you visualize all these things that you can accomplish. Your goals leave butterflies in the bottom of your belly every day. You hear about all these successful people working like 7 jobs, getting up at 4 am to work on their goals, and eating beans for dinner every night to fund their dream. That’s why you feel like you’re not doing enough because you wake up at 6 am and sometimes on your free time, you like to watch a show or two and talk on the phone with a friend. Last Saturday, after a long week, you decided to put on your fluffy robe and relax. Then when you laid down to go to sleep that night, you felt guilty for not working on your business plan because you decided to have some “me” time. You feel like all the motivational speakers you listen to are side-eyeing you. I’m here to tell you that they’re not, so you can stop taking yourself to task.
What a lot of those speakers didn’t tell you was there were many times they burnt themselves out. There were many memories and opportunities they missed out on because they were working hard instead of working smart. They may tell you that you don't get to sleep until you become rich. Do you know what happens when you don’t sleep? You don’t pay attention to detail. You make mistakes because you’re not fully present. Now you have to go back and waste time fixing errors. Your body needs rest. That’s not optional. Anyone who tells you they don’t get tired is lying (or probably using coke...or hell, probably both). Yes, they may be successful but they most likely made the path longer and more draining than it had to be. I work with a few successful businessmen who threw themselves into their work and achieved what they were going for however, every night they sit at a dinner table with their children who they really don’t know because they do not have the energy nor sacrifice the time from goal-chasing to invest in their relationship with them.
I am not saying to not work hard. I’m not even saying don’t sacrifice. I am just saying it’s okay for us to breathe. It is okay to be present in the moment instead of trying to be this energizer bunny we are biologically not meant to be. It’s okay to have balance. Yes, push yourself but don’t push yourself to the brink of insanity. Know your limits. You need to sleep. You need to take a break away from the computer and revisit that project a little later. I am my most creative when I’m not busy freaking out. I’m better off coming back refreshed. You can still be productive and have peace. You can be inconvenienced sometimes but not all the time. A lot of this “I can’t stop working, I have to keep going” mentality stems from impatience and fear. We think if we take one little break to breathe, it’ll prolong our goals. We also fear if we implement balance, we won’t reach our goals at all because according to that seminar, we’re not struggling enough for them. Let’s throw away that frame of mind together. Let’s commit to ourselves to work smart. Everything that is predestined for us will come into fruition and we must trust that. You can’t enjoy the fruits of your labor if you’re sick from neglecting yourself. So next time you finally take your eyes off of that laptop to go for a walk, don’t ruin it by feeling guilty. Embrace the nature that’s around you. Let the wind blow through your hair, and also watch out for dog poop. You owe yourself time for yourself. Success will be there when you get back.
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