Getting off the busy bus

What was I thinking??? Well clearly I wasn’t.  Thinking that is.  My conference is the big event of the year for us.  It takes a great deal of planning and the week before is just crazy tying up all the details and dealing with last minute registrations, of which there are often many.

So knowing this, why, but why, did I schedule a hectic week for myself the week following the conference, with two events back to back.  Why do we do this to ourselves?  I knew I would be tired – that’s British understatement at its best here.  Exhausted more like.  Plus we usually find we have to market an event for at least a month in advance and we hadn’t even started.

Now I could have hung in there and tried to make it work, but here I am getting wiser – I cancelled them.  I suspect only those in our immediate team even noticed.  And that’s my point sometimes we soldier on, when we don’t have to.  We think we are letting people and ourselves down if we say no, decline an opportunity or choose not to forge ahead.

But reality is – unless it’s some earth-shattering program (like above said conference) no one notices or cares.  Only you care and I think we need to care less what people think, and care more about our own health (and sanity).

So – note to self – stop … and smell the coffee.  Preferably in PJs.

Just change the channel

That's what Arianna Huffington's mother would say to her daughter when she was caught up and complaining about a situation in her life.

You've got the control, just change the channel - that was her advice.  And likely we all know this, but we don't.  Perhaps because as women we are pleasers, and we want to be liked, or maybe we are scared of the outcome if we say no.  

Yet deep down we know that we should just quit while we are ahead, instead of working so hard to make the impossible, possible. 

I remember years ago getting into a volunteer role where I was flattered to be asked. My ego driven decision to say yes, when I should have known better, but I rationalized this was a career-affirming move, so I took it on.  Only to regret it later.  

Who's in charge for the remote in your household. Often it is the guys, so we end up watching sports, or worse, flipping from one channel to the next, never getting involved deeply in anything.  Sound familiar?

Do you ever wonder what would happen if you actually chose what you want to watch or more importantly, what you want to do.

It is often hard to extricate yourself too.

If you could change the channel - what would you get rid of?  What would you take out from your menu of choices?   Is it something at work, within the family or perhaps a volunteer role?  What’s the worst that could happen if you did?  And more positively, what would you gain if you did?

It’s a new year.  Wipe the slate clean. Listen to your gut instinct.  Do what is best for you. Yes, you.  Even if you don’t want to do it for yourself, think of how you are a role model for your daughters.  There.  Now it is easier to let go.