Hey Team,
Lately all of my projects, including my fitness-related ones, keep spilling out of their (metaphorical) containers and taking up way more time and energy than I intended to spend on them. *
Since moving frantically from one project to another** is generating more stress but zero satisfaction, I have been trying to figure out how to give myself what I need in order to either finish the projects or to decide what needs to be done with them.
The tricky thing is though that some of my projects need a burst of focused effort so they can be moved to the next stage and others need to be put away for a while in the hopes that the break will make them easier to work on.
And it’s not easy to tell which project needs which treatment.
So, I’m kind of cycling through all of the possibilities with each one – giving it some focused attention and seeing if that works. Next, I try asking for some help or input from someone else and seeing if that works. Finally, if neither of those works then I’m trying to figure out when, how, and how long to take a break from it.
It is very much a work-in-progress so I haven’t got a lot of victories to report yet but I can say that focusing on giving myself what I need to get this sorted has been really helpful.
Soooooo, Team, I wanted to remind you that giving yourself what you need – again/still/finally – could be the key to moving forward, to clearing your head, to getting the things done, to creating some ease, and/or to feeling a bit better about things in general.
And giving yourself what you need could be big or small.
Maybe you need a blanket for when you meditate.
Maybe you need to put your mitts in your pocket now so you don’t have to cut your walk short because your hands are cold.
Maybe you need to call your friend and chat while you are on the treadmill.
Maybe you need to listen to some soothing music to help reduce your stress levels.
Maybe you need to make a few reminders and post them for yourself.
Maybe you need to find a signal to help you wind down before bed.
Maybe you need to get up earlier so you have time for a cup of tea before jumping into your day.
Maybe you need to take a break from walks and do some yoga instead.
Maybe you need to put a sticker on your calendar every day to celebrate your new fitness routine.
Maybe you need to find something that brings you a sensory comfort (a warm sweater, a cold drink, a comfy pillow) to help you deal with something stressful.
No matter what tweaks, changes, or comforts you need for your projects, your days, or your routines, I’d like for you to give yourself permission to have them.
Even if they feel silly.
Even if you think you *should* (shudder!) be able to do (or not do) the thing without them.
It’s ok to give yourself what you need.
And, of course, here is your gold star for your hard work on this or on anything else.
*Contrary to what I initially feared, this time the ‘spills’ aren’t about me underestimating the scope/timeframe of the projects, so that’s a nice change. Still annoying but at least I’m not getting trapped in blaming myself.
**My Dad always referred to this kind of work as ‘putting out fires’ and when I end up in this mode I can practically hear him saying, “You can’t just keep putting out fires, Chris. You need to make a plan!” Probably not how he expected to haunt me but I’m sure he would find it pretty funny all the same.
