It was cold and icy last weekend in Nashville. Snow started falling Friday morning and my assistant Joni called to say she’d be working from home. The only appointment I had in the afternoon was rescheduled – no one wanted to brave the black ice.
Besides, it was Friday.
After a glorious hot shower, I pulled on my favorite fleecy pants, a long-sleeved t-shirt, and wool socks and sat down to complete a mammoth documentation for a client I’d worked with the week before.
But before I started in, I paused. What absolutely had to get done that day?
Should I get the documentation done and then clean out my inbox? Or should I write those follow-up emails? There were surely many things on my To-Do list!
Or…could I dare snuggle up with a book or watch Big Little Lies (which had garnered so many Golden Globe awards)?
Like many of us, I struggle with giving myself a break. I resist because some part of me believes I’m lazy if I am not ALWAYS doing something productive – ALL the time. If you’ve read my book, you will recognize this as the All or Nothing Trap.
The lesson I forget the most is the lesson about making sure I put “time-off” on my list!
There will always be something on the To-Do list! But in those quiet moments of reading, watering my plants, building a fire – and yes, just sitting watching the snow – my mind gets a break from the tyranny of the to-do list, and a time to rest.
Ironically, when the mind is given a little time off, our best ideas tend to bloom. Creativity peaks its head out of the fray and passes you some needed inspiration for what’s next.
So, over the next few weeks, experiment with making time-off part of your To-Do list, and remember: the rest of the things on your list don’t have to be complete to take that needed time off.
I will if you will! We can compare notes.
Until next Tuesday,
Elizabeth
P.S. I’m hosting a LIVE webinar on Wednesday, January 24th, “What To Do If You Hate Your Job.” Perhaps you know a friend or colleague who needs some guidance in this area? RSVP HERE to get the login information.