Do less
Monday, January 8, 2018I 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