Read This If You Have Trouble "Relaxing"
I was miserable.I just took a day off.I was "trying" to relax all day.All I could think about were all the things that needed my attention.I spend a lot of my time thinking about identifying important things and getting them done.Don't laugh but this is hard for me.Of course, most of the work will be there when I return to it--and without any real consequence.But sometimes, there are things that will break if you don't attend to them.Getting through the anxiety of not fixing them requires reminding yourself of the consequences and accepting them.Only then, will the voice in your head be quieted and you will be able to focus on being present.
It's a comparison.
Either you can let go of the work and focus on yourself, or you can let the work take your attention until you let it give you a break.It won't.Your call.
2 Minute Action
What's giving you the most anxiety today?What are the top items on your worry list?What will happen if you don't alleviate them today?Tomorrow?Take 2 minutes to meditate on the consequences.This part is up to you. If you can accept the consequences, it's easier to give yourself permission to rest.If not, you might just be anxious until you make the time to resolve them.
How I Conquered Multiple 100 Hour Weeks In A Row
It was another 100-hour work week.In fact, it was the 5th one like it in a row.
I didn't think it was possible before I did it. How could it be?
At a 60-80 hour work week, you sacrifice the extras. You sacrifice things like social engagements, lunch hour, TV, and weekends.At an 80-90 hour work week, you sacrifice the basics. You sacrifice things like exercise, time with your family/partner, and the last of any personal time left.At the 90-100 hour week mark, you sacrifice the essentials, like sleep.Seems ridiculous to only have 5 hours of sleep per night for 5 weeks in a row, right?It is.
But there's so much more work to be done!
Does anyone else have a voice in their head that says this??Sometimes you can't work smarter. Sometimes the only person who can get it done is you!Guess what?
There is always an infinite amount of work.
If you are obsessed with social impact and making continuous improvements, you'll never get to a place where you've done enough work to stop working.Even if you somehow are the 1% of people that figure it out, if you're like me, you'll get bored really fast.
So, give up that idea.
Even retirement can stir up the urge to volunteer or be helpful in other ways.
The mantra of living a productive life focused on social impact is about being happy with the pace and intensity.
It's up to you to constantly push the comfort zone of your own intensity and pace. This means that if you're constantly pushing your comfort zone, you're never really in it.I think you get the point.
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
You will not grow strong enough to achieve your dreams without internalizing this belief.Understand your needs for rest, relaxation, re-focusing and whatever else you need. It's your responsibility to understand yourself and take care of your needs.It's your responsibility to understand how much sleep you need to avoid making excessive, stupid mistakes.It's your responsibility to understand how much you can take on to maintain long-lasting productivity.It's your responsibility to understand your weaknesses and discomforts so you can conquer them and grow stronger.
2 Minute Action
What's a part of your job that makes you feel really uncomfortable?What's something you really are not looking forward to doing today?What's something that you've been avoiding for some time?You guessed it. Make it happen.You've got 2 minutes to set up the conversation, push the button, or ask that embarrassing question.Everyone has 2 minutes to take action.
Get 5 Extra Hours In Your Day
Actually, it's more than 5 hours.
Neilson has reported that in 2016, the average American watched over 5 hours of TV per day.Now multiply that by the ~300 million people in the country.That's 1.5 billion man/hrs that could have been spent doing something useful.We could build cities, discover cures, or even just get 6 pack abs.Maybe it's not TV for you--so what is it?What is the thing that's so hard to give up? The thing you think you need to relax, unwind, unplug?What would happen if someone took it away? Would you die a slow and painful death?Probably not.
2 Minute Action:
Since we're moving from TV to our smart devices . . .Unlock your smartphone and check your battery settings.On an iPhone: Settings > BatteryThen check how much power you've used (or screentime you've logged) in the last 24 hours and in the last week. The results may surprise you.Try deleting one app from your phone for a week. Just one week.If you don't explode, maybe you might have the time to think about the life you really want to be living.