Have you ever worked with incredibly reactive people always on the brink of an emergency?
How painful is that?!
You just want to shake them and shout “Get a grip! Your failure to plan is not my problem!”
I’ve been going through life like that. Reacting and panicking, getting caught up in other people’s drama. That was my MO for most of my life.
Now I refuse to play that game. I operate from intention and intuition.
Slow down.
Ask why.
Does this really need to be done?
Why now?
Who does it serve?
What are the alternatives?
What are the consequences?
What are the desired outcomes?
What are the expected outcomes?
What will the long term effects be?
Question everything. (If you’re a parent of a young child, you know how to do this! Channel your toddler. Just keep asking why, over and over again. The 5 Whys principle exists for a reason – that usually does it.)
Evaluate. Analyse. And do the selfish thing.
If there’s one thing I have learned, it’s that if there is a choice that feels selfish to choose, that is almost certainly the way for me to go. The scales have been so out of whack for so long.
It’s time to fix that. Redress the balance.
Less triaging for everybody else. More slowing down and self-honouring. Start rebalancing the scales.
Thank you. I needed to hear this, and I’m going to use those questions at work first thing tomorrow morning. This type of situation always naturally ramps up as we get to the end of the year. Everything is a top priority… for everyone else. I don’t have capacity to do it all. This will help me take 10 minutes to stop, think, and plan.
self-honouring. love that.
just started doing yoga lately and it’s alll about setting time aside for yourself and indulging, and then turning all that positive energy into the world afterwards! you might like it if you’ve never tried it before 🙂