Do less

I wrote in my final coaching newsletter of 2017 that I think one of the most life-enhancing shifts I can imagine so many of us could make in 2018 is to: Do Less.

Doing Less can be tricky, especially when you first start, because so much of our sense of self-worth tends to be tied up with busyness:

• You’re a good mum because your kids are involved in heaps of activities
• You’re popular because you’re always out with friends
• You’re a great worker because you’re available every moment of the day
• You’re loved because you prioritise their needs
• You’re fit because you exercise so much and you sacrifice sleep to do it
• You’re successful because you never have a moment to yourself

Doing Less requires you to give stuff up. And initially, that can be super uncomfortable. I would suggest starting small, maybe taking just one of the following ideas, implementing it then noticing what happens:

• Schedule free time each week – not for chores or exercise or finishing off emails. Jut time to do nothing.
• Delegate housework to someone else [then have the discipline to be ok with how they perform, even if it’s not how you would have done it]
• Limit your kids’ extra curricular activities to one a week
• Clock off: put work away after 7pm and don’t answer emails on the weekend
• Eliminate social interactions that aren’t meaningful and joyful
• Take yourself off school committees

Once you’ve tried one and life has slowed a little, try another. You’ll start noticing other opportunities for life-refinement and you’ll begin enjoying the freedom and calm that Doing Less brings.

So good.

Tags: life-coaching, Melbourne