Blogpost by Elizabeth Ribons
"My loyalty kept me in some situations that common sense should have taken me out of"
It's that moment when you realize you are not your own person anymore but a steward to commitments and roles and stuff you had signed on for…a while ago. And then one day (like me) you wake up and realize “Why am I doing this?”
It is my nature to dive in and do. Many of us take on more than we should. I am a take-action kind of person but that isn’t always a good thing….
I wasn’t staying aware and it crept up on me, and then I realized "Whoa...I need to step back and reclaim some space, my life, my time, or whatever I have allowed to be overdrawn.
That’s when the scales are tipped too far and (now that I have learned) I make an adjustment. I do what I call a life edit. It could be quick or take a bit more thought but I practice this regularly.
Author Marie Kondo in her book "The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up" provides steps to "decluttering" your home. I often refer to her message in a broader sense for myself and when I am speaking with others who find themselves creeping into the "overdrawn in life" category.
Here are some tips for checking in and doing an edit for yourself.
- First, I begin to notice I am not as thorough, maybe missing a call or appointment, distracted, and not present. That is when I find that I am overextended.
- I then do an "inside check" and usually, I am feeling some stress in my body.
- I then pause and literally ask myself what can be eliminated.
- I am always surprised at this step because I am doing too much and think it all has to be done at once....But when I pause for a moment I get clear.
- I then take action to stop being in action...or at least to slow it down.
- I delegate, hire someone, decline something, order in and just make a conscious choice to slow down.
I have made a habit of doing these above steps. In fact, my children make fun of me about it…But I love life and want to be present for it and truly live it, not be leased out and over-extended.
In careers, the trend was to work so hard and ridiculous hours but after this pandemic?? Many of us are seeing what is important and where we may be able to pass on diving into "more".
The new trend for CEOs is to boast about getting sleep...As Greg McKeown, author of "Essentialism The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" shares in his book. This is another favorite book of mine that emphasizes that our best work doesn't come from working harder, but smarter. It is the same for our best lives.
Age is a good thing because it not only gives us wisdom but a realization of a finite amount of time on this earth - How are we spending it?? Leased out and overdrawn?
I am not always perfect at this but I have learned to pause, take a moment and step back. I look at the flip side and decide if I want to devote things I may not or cannot get back…Time, energy, and emotional investment before I commit.
And if I am overwhelmed? Just like the overstuffed closet...I check in to see what can be eliminated.
What does SUCCESS mean for you now? Redefine it Get the quiz
Get Access -The Magic Is In The Community
Get Social - Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn,
Stay connected with news and updates!
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.
Don't worry, your information will not be shared.
We hate SPAM. We will never sell your information, for any reason.
