I don’t know what’s been hitting me this past week, but I’ve had a strong desire to let go of my expectations and focus on self-care.
Sometimes the labels I carry become the taskmaster of my to-do list. I’m a mother, an employee, an entrepreneur, a daughter, a friend, a puppy owner, a community leader, a creative, an avid reader, a marketing expert, and more. I’m sure you have at least a few labels that you try to be your very best at, only to realize you can’t be all the things all the time.
I know I’m hitting overwhelm when I need to use effort to do simple tasks like walking the dog, replying to an email, or washing the dishes. Heck, I’ll even skip making coffee because it’s one more thing I have to get done (and you should know by now that I love my coffee).
Lately, self-care seems to be a buzzword people use to say ‘work like crazy and then reward yourself with something that makes you happy’. But what if we actually do the opposite?
When listening to The Lively Show podcast a few years ago, I loved that the show host talked about getting into alignment before taking action.
That’s how I would describe this last week of mine. Getting aligned first. Of course, I don’t have the freedom to go all-in on this concept, but I’ll tell you some of the things I have been doing:
- Going to bed when I’m tired and waking up without an alarm
- Pouring a bath instead of having a quick shower
- Eating healthy all week, then indulging in some favourite treats
- Turning on some tunes and dancing while working on house chores
- Making my dog’s 6 am walk a treat for myself by walking to a coffee shop
- Watching a rom-com, re-watching a classic, re-listening to part of a favourite audiobook
- Closing the laptop when I should be working, and trusting that everything will get done when it needs to
- Talking with a friend for hours without checking the clock to get back to what I ‘should’ be doing
- Sitting by the fire in the snow with my kid and making s’mores (because I wanted to)
- Following my interests and intuition when possible
Do you know what always surprises me when I focus on feeding my soul and prioritizing my needs first? How overwhelming the sense of well-being can feel and how strong my desire is to share myself with the world again.
Imagine what would happen if we all found ways to get to that sense of well-being. If we all put alignment before action.
Right Now…
Blogs and newsletters have become so transactional or de-personalized. I miss the old-school content. Opening up a newsletter or clicking on a favourite blogger’s site to get a glimpse into what was happening in their lives at that moment.
‘Right Now’ is a monthly digest to recapture that personal nature of email newsletters and blogs.
What I’m thinking about:
Talking to someone step ahead can help bring so much clarity. Why are we so great at seeing the obvious actions someone else needs to take, but get stuck with knowing what to do next ourselves?
What I’m reading:
Lately, I’ve been re-listening to snippets of Ask and It Is Given and Conversations with God on Audible. They always help me feel more aligned. I’ve also been making slow progress through a book called Limitless by Jim Qwik. I’ll save my opinion until I’m done.
What I’m listening to:
Re-watching the TV series One Tree Hill, I remembered the old Gavin DeGraw album I have on iTunes. Tell me the lyrics from the show’s title song, I Don’t Want To Be, aren’t relevant in the age of social media influencers:
I'm surrounded by liars everywhere I turn
I'm surrounded by imposters everywhere I turn
I'm surrounded by identity crisis everywhere I turn
Am I the only one to notice?
I can't be the only one who's learned
I don't want to be anything
Other than what I've been trying to be lately
All I have to do is think of me and I have peace of mind
I'm tired of looking around rooms wondering what I gotta do
Or who I'm supposed to be
I don't want to be anything other than me
What I’m working on:
I’m building content strategies and marketing funnels for clients. Right now, I’m swimming in SEO audits, website overhauls, opt-ins and email sequences, setting up ad campaigns, and repurposing content for multiple channels.
The other project that I’m trying to carve out time for is re-vamping and launching my old personal branding course that’s been on a shelf for 3 years. It’s so essential to the work I do with every client, and I can’t wait to put it back out in the world.
What I’ve shipped:
In October I was a guest presenter for an online business series. My talk, Fill the Funnel, was about building and improving marketing funnels. It reminded me of how much I enjoy teaching marketing but also showed me how rusty my online presentation skills have gotten. I’ll be needing a little practice.
What I’m enjoying:
I’m enjoying the white space that I’ve been trying to carve out for myself. Space is something that always leads to creativity for me.
What I’m grateful for:
We’ve had two snowfalls already this fall, and I thank mother nature for every day it stays above freezing. I’m not meant to live in such a cold climate.
Quote of the month:
“Life is not about finding yourself, it is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw
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