There’s something I’ve been slowly realizing as I get older:
I always have the energy to do what’s mine to do.
This did not come naturally. I was a chronic over-doer, convinced that I needed to work hard to prove my worth.
That meant pushing myself as hard as possible to do as much as possible…and giving myself a royal hiding for not measuring up.
When I fell in love with internet marketing almost twenty years ago, I was seduced by the hustle marketing crowd, who introduced me to my new best frenemy: Productivity.
I was obsessed with programs called Wake Up Productive and Free to Focus. My Morning Success Ritual was two hours long. I worked in 50 minute blocks with a 10 minute break between, ruled by my timer.
My To Do List was never ending.
I couldn’t pull an all-nighter or work 70 hour weeks, like my marketing heroes did. I thought I lacked willpower, commitment and fortitude – so I worked even harder.
At some point, Workhorse Steph was worn out.
I dreamed of another way, and hired a coach who helped me see that I’d been making work harder than it had to be just to prove myself. (Ouch.)
And slowly, a truth began to emerge.
I’d be absolutely exhausted at the end of the day. Done. Toasted.
And then…
My best friend would call after the death of her beloved cat, and suddenly, I’d have the energy to be there for her.
Or “Take On Me” by Aha would start playing, and I’d break into a spontaneous dance.
Or a true emergency would arise, like the time the house next door was on fire and we had to evacuate in the middle of the night. One moment I was sound asleep, the next I was sprinting out the door.
Energy isn’t fixed; it flows.
What I need is always here fo rme.
Some days, my calendar is filled with back-to-back appointments, but I rarely rearrange my schedule. Because on the days when it’s really too much, people magically cancel or reschedule.
It happens so reliably that I never worry about my schedule. Life takes care of it for me, and I always have the energy to show up for what’s truly mine to do.
If I don’t have the energy, that’s guidance, too. It means it’s not mine to do right now.
Understanding this is a huge relief. I don’t have to manufacture energy levels or push myself like a superhuman. It helps me accept the days when I’m not running around like the Energizer Bunny.
When I’m feeling low, I declare it a “slow day,” let myself be a C-student and still get a surprising amount done, without pushing.
So if you find yourself tired and exhausted all the time, maybe you’re not lazy or broken. Life’s just showing you that what you’re trying to do right now isn’t yours to do.
Life is inviting you into a different way of being with work, one where you move with the flow of energy, instead of against it.
That’s exactly what we explore inside the IMPACT Membership (and in my 1:1 coaching, too): business that’s powered by love, not hustle.
Your energy gets freed up because you’re finally doing what’s yours to do — in a way that feels like you.
We’ve got a Spark & Strategize Mastermind next week. It’s your chance to ask your questions and tap the collective wisdom, and discover what’s truly yours to do.
https://www.theawakenedbusiness.com/impactinvite/
Yours in love and play,
Steph
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