Getting out of my own way

In the last post, I talked about taking a look at the things you are struggling with to see where you are getting in your own way and creating obstacles for yourself instead of looking at the things that may be external barriers to your progress. I also promised you that I would share a little bit about what I have been experiencing with regards to that post.

So, here is what I am working through right now.

My routine is off. I started a summer gig running a summer day camp at a local nonprofit, so I am navigating changes to my hours from setting my own schedule to  a schedule set by someone else, a shift in my sleep routine, a daily commute, and a host of other adjustments.

But it may be just what I needed.

Maybe this is a little wake up call to remind me that I am capable of more than I have been doing. Encouragement to think outside of the box and to get creative. It also might be just what I need to really focus on what’s important for me and my business right now.

I am guessing you have probably noticed that work has a tendency to  expand to fill the time you have available. Mine certainly has. What I used to do in a couple of hours after a day at the office, I have been able to work on more slowly since I have been working on my own. Now, with the summer gig, I am back to having shorter periods of time available.

Allowing myself to be distracted by my surroundings and stretching out my work is one of the ways I have create an obstacle for myself. The consequences of this being that I have been feeling behind and always busy trying to catch up, which means trying to force things to get done, which can lead to less attention to detail, having to do things over, and being behind. It’s a vicious cycle!

There were, of course, signs that this was coming…

In the coaching group I am working with we had just worked with the question “What kind of busy are you?” (terribly busy vs. powerfully busy, etc.) and discussed how the way you look at your situation can influence the experience.

A friend of mine rescheduled her plans to launch a program due to a family illness, and allowed herself to recover rather than pushing through and forcing the launch to continue.

I had a client who was rushing through her words and said “I am so busy” multiple times in our session. I helped her process and come to a decision that it was more important to move forward and make progress with intention than to rush through her work. (They say you often coach what you need to hear!)

Then came the 5 of staves. The most direct and in my face call to attention.

So what have I learned from all of this?

1. Pay attention to the signs. The Universe will tell you when something is out of whack, and it will keep telling you until you listen. I was lucky enough to see it before things got too out of hand.
2. Stay focused on what you want not how you are going to get it. As soon as I backed off on the how and topped putting some much pressure on myself things shifted. I started seeing some real progress in my business, and the new routine is settling in.
3. Add in ease. Giving myself a little quiet time to center and set my intention for the day makes everything flow so much better. I feel more productive and better able to handle whatever comes up.

So there you go! That’s what’s going on with me and how I am working it out. I would love to know what you are up to and if there is anything I can do to help!