Picture you’re just about to hit send on the last email of the day. The cold beer waiting for you at home is already on your mind; you can practically taste the relaxation. Just then, Jan interrupts your fantasy by asking, “Hey, you busy? Donna just handed me this new phenomenal project, you want in on it?”
As you look at Jan’s sparkling eyes and full smile, you can feel your beer slipping out of your hand. You’ve barely been able to pull yourself out of bed in the morning as you dump a gallon of coffee down your throat just to be functional. Your gym routine has turned into walking around the corner to get another coffee mid-day. And your dating life has dissolved into watching Netflix on your couch.
But this is such a good opportunity, you think, and this extra project could even help bump me into that bonus I’ve been working towards.
As you hear yourself replying “yes,” to Jan’s expectant stare, your heart drops and a heaviness lands on your shoulders…where will I find the time for this? You think.
We function (sometimes barely) in a society that promotes an exhausting level of productivity. But for real, when is enough, going to become ENOUGH?
FOMO shows up in many forms and sometimes that looks like overcommitting for all the “right reasons.” So what tools can we use that enable us to obtain the mystical work/life balance?
[Continued from the newsletter]
Try this:
Next time you’re stuck between “no” and “yes,” ask yourself: If I say no to this, what do I get to say yes to?
In the scenario above, if Jan would have received a “no,” then the yes would have been to an extra hour per night of sleep, an hour per week for a workout, and a Friday night date (a.k.a. the opportunity to find and build a meaningful connection).
Many of us are stuck trying to say yes to ALL THE THINGS. Overcommitting can mean a continual state of exhaustion and in many cases a lack of connection to anyone outside of the workplace.
Ready for a schedule that feels good? Try these 3 steps to take action starting today:
- For one week ask yourself, If I say no to this, what do I get to say yes to? before adding tasks to your calendar.
- Put a reminder in your phone to check in at the end of each week to see if you have noticed a difference in the flow of your week.
- If you found the practice of questioning your commitments valuable, create a scheduling habit of for 2019!
Planner GIVEAWAY!
Looking for a planner for 2019 that allows you to create and actually achieve goals with soul?
We’re giving away 2 copies (one for you, one for your friend!) of Danielle La Porte’s Desire Map Planner.
Head on over to our Instagram account for entry details.
Entry closes at 12am on 12/14/2018.
