Slow down....you're going too fast!
I recognised on my first trip that rushing = stress and that if I just slow down, even doing the most mundane tasks my stress reduced.
Once I returned after that trip I quickly returned to my rushing status quo and by the time I got back to Thailand I was well and truly in need of that lesson again.
This time round even though I'm busier than ever and have more pressure on me to perform than ever I couldn't be LESS stressed!
This time I was aware of the fact that the stress I carried lived in my body, it was my default and I had to work at it to overcome this...I'm your classic over-achiever and unless I was making progress "across all areas" ALL THE TIME I was stressing out..all totally self-inflicted.
I never felt like I had time to enjoy my life day in day out, I always felt as though I would "get to that" when things were less busy, only they never were.
Things could not be more different these days and I'm so grateful to have finally learned the lesson "for reals"
I no longer create work for the sake of being busy, I no longer rush though things and I have to say life is so much better, I'm far more strategic (and less reactive) in everything I do and any bumps are just that, rather than a catastrophe about to befall
From the simplest things (like making Dave & Cody's lunches in the morning) to more complex stuff (like running webinars and recording lessons for my program participants) I have found that slowing down increases the enjoyment factor, decreases my stress and makes the whole experience fun...life is fun again
The flow on from this is I am adding more of the stuff I love to do in my week and I'm enjoying it instead of rushing through it to get back to my desk because I know I have the time to do it AND the time to enjoy it.
I'm learning French 3 times a week, next week I start training with my awesome trainer Paul again 3 times a week and Friday mornings I head to my reformer Pilates class and I've just added a trip into the CBD every week to do a new business program.
It's like that exercise where you add the big rocks to the jar (representing the priorities in your life) and then fill the rest of the space with pebbles, they all fit. When you add the pebbles first the big rocks don't fit and that's how my weeks looked, lots of small stuff that needed to be done but weren't my priority.
In all of my entrepreneurial endeavours the aim has always been to work less and enjoy life more while loving what I do while at the same time making a difference.
I've been in a position to do that for a few years now, it was right in front of me but I didn't see it....I was too busy "making busy"...
So...moral of the story?
Slow down...even if you take your foot off the pedal 10% things will start to shift, time will open up, your stress will reduce and life will be much more fun I promise
Ok...it's a wrap!
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