A wonderful lesson in time management, via several wildly stressful several days with my teenager.
To help my oldest kiddo navigate some of the things that come with being a fourteen-year-old at this particular moment in time, we have been encouraged to apply the sweat-it-out approach. This means, essentially, 20-30 minutes of strenuous activity a day to help move energy and make him sweat.
Turns out, what worked for him works for my business too.
Yesterday I got an email from someone who wanted something from me that I didn’t want to give. She wanted my time.
I have become more and more fiercely protective of my time over the years, but apparently had not yet mastered the art of the effortless no. The moment I read the email subject and knew what the request was, I felt my stomach clench — first because I didn’t want to give time to this particular conversation and second because I knew that I probably would anyway.
WHY do I sometimes think that something is such a good idea, and then it turns out to be such a bad idea but I keep going anyway, like if I can just force myself through it it will be totally worth it? This is what just happened to me, and some ways it might help you when your own brilliant ideas have you banging your head against the wall...
People (smart people) have been telling me for a while to trust myself, to do what brings me joy, and to trust that the Universe has got my back. And to the intellectual, rational, socially constructed part of me THIS SOUNDS INSANE.
Are you telling me I can build a thriving business and life just by watching movies and eating chocolate all day?? That I can spend my time playing with my kids (who, in this fantasy, are never cranky and always want to play with me) and reading my YA novels and getting massages while money magically appears in my bank account and the laundry miraculously folds itself??
Um, no. But getting all snarky about it is a fantastic way for me to NOT LISTEN to what these people are really saying. On the other hand…