Getting in the Way of Myself
This weekend I thought a lot about my business. My artwork, website, blog, etc. I became completely overwhelmed and unsure of which direction I was heading (this is not the first time this has happened). I had this inner excitement to tackle so many things, but at the same time felt paralyzed and worn out by all possibilities. I was getting in the way of myself.
So after a staring blankly at my computer and looking through my notes, I took a deep breath. I got up, did some cleaning, played with Henry, then came back to my desk. I knew I had to commit to taking a new approach if I wanted to accomplish anything. I had to shift my mindset from being the scatter-brained kid in a candy store, to being calm and patient with myself and my ideas so I could tackle this little business venture of mine. I had to give myself permission to go at my own pace.
I am quickly learning that this is something I will have to remind myself of often. I can't get so buried in my own thoughts and ideas that I hinder myself from accomplishing anything. I have to manage my time well (thank you Caroline for the reminder), and be smart about what I choose to focus on...I can't do it all at once. In addition, I find that it's soooo easy to get caught up in the pressure of doing too much because so many other people are achieving extradorinary things. They appear to have great "success" and its hard to know where I fit in or how I could ever catch up to them. But we cannot define our work (or our lives) by comparing our expecations to other peoples "success." We can't push so hard to accomplish something that doesn't feel right and true to our values.
In this chaotic world filled with expectations, we don't have to keep up with everyone else out there. They have their own journey, which is wonderful and beautiful. But so do we.
So, what are the things that you feel overwhelmed by? And how are you choosing to handle it? I'd love to hear about them and offer some encouragement if you'd like. Just hit me up here and we can chat more.
P.S. I want to say a special thanks to (the awesome) Caroline at Made Vibrant for helping me finally figure out my click-to-tweet!!!