Me too and the struggle is real!
Every day we face so many demands on our time, energy and emotions. I struggle to do all the things "I need to accomplish", you know those daily task "I just have to get done".
Are you right there with me?
Well guess what, we're left unsatisfied and exhausted right?
Completing our To Do Lists everyday over and over and over again doesn't give us any room to enjoy life, breath and destress, or even grow.
It doesn't leave us time to appreciate life or enjoy the things that we actually love doing.
So why do we keep doing this to ourselves?
It's impossible for me to get every single thing I want to do done in just one day (I know this), I'm not super woman, but my brain tells me if I don't get it all done today then tomorrow's list will be twice as long.
Logically that makes sense right, but maybe the whole reason I'm struggling is because my priorities need to be tweaked. Is everything on my list really that important? Can I cut some of those things out entirely to make room for the things I would absolutely love to do?
Can you?
I bet the answer is yes. Making our daily To Do List simpler, smaller and more enjoyable not only leads to more enjoyment but also less burn out.
As American's we tend to enjoy every day life a whole lot less (I'm talking on a grand scale and as a general whole). We try so hard to accomplish everything we can in the smallest amount of time. Whether that means sacrificing time, relationships, creativity, our health, happiness or sometimes even who we are. Corporate America has just "programmed" us to be this way. So when we do get the smallest amount of extra time we're too burnt out to do anything good so we binge watch TV, loose countless hours on Facebook, or over sleep to the point of exhaustion.
Well enough! I'm not a robot and neither are you.
It's a vicious cycle, indeed but you can break it!! If you make time for the good things too, adulting won't seem so bad in the end.
First, get a pen and start slashing! Really look at that list and ruthlessly cut what you can live without doing. Edit your list until only the things that really need to happen or matter to you remain. Maybe that task is better suited for tomorrow or early in the morning when you have more energy. Maybe you delegate a task or get some help getting it done.
Second, grab a pen and notebook, head to your happy place and start a new list. Write down everything you wish you'd done this year, everything you were too busy to do, all the things you love doing and things you already do that make you smile.
These things can be as simple as meditate in the morning, read a chapter of my new book, go sky diving, catch up with my friends, watch a special movie, plan a trip, cut out an hour of internet. Doesn't really matter as long as they make you happy or actually want to do them.
Lastly, pick 3-5 things from your "happy" list and combine them with your To Do List. Schedule time for them just like you would any other activity. Not only will this help to avoid burnout but it will also keep your "adulting" more balanced and satisfying.
'til next time,
Misty
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