YOU are in Control ~ Change Something

What words do you use most in times of the year the end of the year, when things are busy? Are you complaining to everyone (which includes yourself) that you're "so busy", "you're overrun", "you have no time or energy"??? ....

Change SOMETHING.

EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US HAS THE CONTROL AND ABILITY to do so. It's a matter of TAKING it. It's a PRACTICE. We "feel we can't" because we DON'T.

Change only feels hard because it's NEW and DIFFERENT from our current "default mode". Practice the change you want, and it will BE your new "default mode".

This EXACT conversation occurs when it comes to various aspects of our lifestyle, daily routines and health. If you're NOT happy with the way YOU FEEL, CHANGE SOMETHING. Also understanding that IF YOU DON'T CHANGE anything, in ANY little way, from what you're currently doing - Things WILL stay the same and continue on the SAME path for you. We say "I know, I know". But do we REALLY know? Because we KEEP DOING the same thing and we KEEP complaining that nothing is changing. 🤔

In our continued theme of chatting about SLOWING DOWN, this is 100% relevant and much of the time it's the ROOT of the issue; We KEEP doing the same #$%^ over and over, while expecting something to change!! When we step back, SLOW DOWN and think about that reality it sure doesn't make much sense does it???

I know, I know. "Oh but I 'have to' do 'x'..." Maybe. Maybe NOT. Even if you can't stop IMMEDIATELY (say you've committed yourself to something for a few weeks), you CAN make the decision for yourself that ASAP you will STOP. Ultimately we CAN stop anything we choose to do in most cases, though we may lose some time/energy/money perhaps or maybe it goes against our morals at times (quitting without seeing something through). But is it worth your wellbeing if you're dragging yourself through EVERY DAY and complaining to everyone about how MUCH YOU HAVE on your plate??

I may be repeating myself with this point over course of these SLOW DOWN posts this month, but it bears repeating!! It may even need a good snowball to the forehead to snap us out of this LOOP of the same #$%^ over and over, yet expecting something to change.

Here's some ideas to get out of this "I'm so busy" TRAP!!! 👇

👉CHOOSE ONE thing to change from your norm that would FEEL more in line with how YOU want to feel. Put it into ACTION.

👉 START saying "NO" to some things (no matter how good they will be). Recognize you're running on fumes, complaining (internally and externally) about the same stuff, and you have NOTHING left to give. Recognize the NEED to rest and recover.

👉START talking differently. Here's a VERY underutilized skill (the power of our words). The more you say "I'm so busy", "I'm so exhausted", "I have so much on the go", the more THAT truly becomes your reality. This goes for your internal environment as well. Instead start to practice wording such as;

• "It's a busy time right now, but I'm taking some daily chunks of time to read my book and breathe a bit"

• "There's alot on my plate, but I'm NOT taking on ANYTHING else right now"

• "I'm tired but I'm making sure I can get to bed early each night no matter what"

• "There's some things to get done today, but I'm excited to get home and play a game with my kids"

*Even your WORDS may be the CHANGE you need from your current busy, exhausting norm - that isn't working for you.

👉Honesty is a POWERFUL tool. Not just with others, but yourself.

• Be honest if your boss gives you extra work and you can barely keep up with your own. "I want to help, but I have 'x-y-z' on my plate already and I'm already working a few extra hours every day past normal work hours"

• Talk to your spouse/partner with honesty if you're feeling overwhelmed, and ask him/her for some help in small ways.

• Talk to your kids and help them understand why YOU need just 10min of rest after dinner without them asking you for things, or wanting to play.

• Be honest with YOURSELF to say "I ONLY can do so much each day". I'm going to have to say "No" to anything else today so I can have time to NOT rush, enjoy a few minutes for me etc.

---

YOU control your OWN narrative and YOUR CHOICES. The more we complain and use that negative energy in how we say things about our days, the MORE that becomes our REALITY... that YOU CHOOSE!!!

Not happy with it? Start CHOOSING a CHANGE.

Don't want to change? Stop complaining (to others AND yourself) about the choices YOU have made.

Somewhere along the line, we've forgotten that life ISN'T always fair and it isn't symmetrical. It will never "perfectly" balance out. There's no such thing. In a "perfect world" we COULD DO IT ALL;

• We could be everything for everyone that we want

• We could do all the fun things we want to do

• We could have infinite time and energy to do these things

That's NOT how reality works. That doesn't mean "life sucks". It means we CAN'T have or do it all. There are CHOICES to be made. Thankfully we live in a time where CHOICE is OURS. LET IT BE YOURS.

CHOOSE busy if you want ~ accept the impact on your energy and wellbeing

CHOOSE slow if you want ~ accept that you will have to say "No" to some things

CHOOSE inaction if you want ~ accept the impact on your wellbeing and lifestyle

CHOOSE action if you want ~ accept that you will need to "rest and recovery" as much as you "do things".

Whatever YOU CHOOSE, if you aren't happy with how YOU feel inside and out. CHOOSE to CHANGE something. ANYTHING. If you don't, accept that NOTHING will change for you. It's really NOT rocket science. It's Mother Nature's honesty, through and through. Accept that reality. Use it to your advantage to BE and FEEL however you WANT!