I have tons to do. I have a class to write. I have a teleseminar series on Soul-Work to plan. I have fabulous content to share with you all. For about 6 days, the flow has been gone and I’ve have taken all my own advice- naps, walks, I Am statements, doodling, resting, allowing the flow, mindmapping, talking to a coach…and I’m still in the STUCK. My brain feels all stale and clusterf*ckish.
So I thought I would share some of real life, behind the scenes, of a week when things aren’t flowing so well.
Here is the list of things I have done that are NOT work, and things that I have done in hopes that the flow would come back so that I COULD work with GUSTO…but most of them are the things I’ve done instead of just getting it done.
- Naps. Lots of them. Morning naps and afternoon naps. On the verge of to many naps.
- Started blog posts that never got finished.
- Gone to the movies with friends.
- Hammock time. Almost as much hammock time as the naps.
- Walked the dog.
- Cooked dinner even when there was no one to eat (and, I never cook) .
- Organized my office.
- Cleaned my garage.
- Did laundry.
- Drank wine.
- Pinterest. Way more time on Pinterest than usual.
- Started some doodles. Did not finish.
- Grocery shopped.
- Pool party.
- Dove to town for lunch with hubby and then came all the way back because, “I needed to work.”
- Facebook.
- Twitter.
- Instagram.
- Yoga. Half-ass yoga to be truthful.
- Scooped dog poo in the back yard.
- Cuddled Leroy the boxer dog.
- Cuddled Lulu the Boston terrier dog.
- Cuddled Daisy Mae, the mutt.
- Vacuumed the carpet.
- Took apart my bed that squeaks when I have sex with my husband to see if I could fix the squeak.
- Shaved my legs.
- Watched Hot in Cleveland on Netflix.
- Played bejeweled on my iPad.
- Played bejeweled on my computer.
- More facebook -even though I vowed to take a hiatus over the holiday weekend.
PS. BFF Nikki Buckelew, moved in down the road (as opposed to 1350 miles away in Florida) and when I told her I was going to write this as a post, she called me the ANTI-productivity coach. This is funny, because when I worked for Keller Williams, I was famous for being the world’s best Productivity Coach– not so productive lately.
PSS: I see this as evidence that I am finally recovering from being an overachiever. Hooray ME!
PSSS: It IS a holiday weekend and I didn’t want to work until today. And as I write this post, I hear the message from my Inner Whisper, “Sweetie, it is SO not time for you to work. You are the boss of you and there is NO deadline except the ones YOU place on YOU. So just be, just play, just facebook, and just nap. The flow will be back when it is back.”
PSSSS: Now that I’ve taken time to read the list, I am able to release the self judgement and criticism about working or not working or napping. I give my self permission to be anti0productive every so often.
Do you put too much pressure on yourself? What if you made a list. Would you look at and be able to diffuse the self criticism? Give your self a break. What this exercise has reminded me…is that I am ENOUGH–and love, I want you to know that you are enough too!
Follow me on Facebook Tweet me on Twitter @allicrow
& if you liked this post, please share it with the tools below this post!
Wanna get my free at home coaching kit? Click here to join my community and receive these goodies!
very interesting-I too have had a week of this and that…mostly that…… :0)
THANK YOU for sharing this! As I sit here on my not so happy butt for the past FIVE days with a badly sprained ankle and going through the house on crutches, I have felt SO guilty for NOT working (granted, I’ve also been on Vicodin….) s… o thank you for being the anti-PC that I needed, and I’m going back to work tomorrow. Seeing that you, of all people, feel this way makes me not feel so bad and I am giving myself permission to have a few days off to HEAL so I can kick ass after I can get back on my feet!
Oh yes. ALL.THE.TIME. I’m also a procrastinator at heart so I struggle daily with what actually needs to get done.
Love your authenticity Allison. And it’s all oh so true in my life as all. finally got the September flow of “back to school” in my head which means I’m more business focused than I have been all summer. And I’m OK with that strangely. Goddesses need to relax and enjoy life too!
I know you wrote this a month ago, but hells bells, this has been me for the past week or so! I keep telling myself that I want a different future, but I just sit and watch myself piss away my time (with TV, Facebook and the like) instead of actually doing something to make change. I’m trying to be better with not being so hard on myself for such things, but I think I’ve become a softie! I’ve been too forgiving, if that’s possible, so I’m trying to re-establish some structure and discipline. How else will I get shit done?
Jodi, I get it. It is easy to get stuck focusing on the to-do list because it is the path to the different future…and then not DO anything on that list. BUT….how the heck do we get on that path? What draws us to it?
Make a TO FEEL list…what do you want to feel. What feelings would that different future give you? Get in to your imagination? For those of us that work on the computer… it is good to go REAL paper from time to time. Switch off the computer for a moment…and the tv…anything with a GLOW (haha) and get pen to paper. let your imagination begin to play….and write that to FEEL list.
I’m not sure we can be to forgiving…. and self compassion can also be lost when we don’t nurture our dreams. There is a tipping point when my facebook time (and I spend LOTS of time there) goes from relaxing and forgiving – to slothful…a point when it drains my energy instead of contributes to it. What self compassionate act could you take that would support you–and this future you want?
Machines have structure…you are a human…a breathing changing ebbing and flowing part of nature. Allow the ebb…but allow yourself to play in the FEELINGs of flow. What excites you? What are you passionate about> What feels FUN!?
Thanks Allison. I’ll get to work on my “to feel” list and see where that leads me. 🙂
Missed this the first time you posted it…I guess cuz I was supposed to see it now. I’m being very productive and yet in so many areas of my life (including work) the message is I’m not enough…to leadership at work, family, potential romantic relationships, I’m not enough. Just last night crying over the wine about not being enough. So thank you that even though I may not believe I’m enough right now, the Higher Power that created this timing wants me to know I’m enough…and that’s good enough for now.
I love you! So did you fix the squeaking bed? Nurturing yourself so that you can do what you are fabulous at doesn’t seem anti-productive to me, it sounds authentic. xoxo
Hahah…this post is a few years old Ann. Bed doesn’t squeak any longer. I reposted due to a conversation we had on a group coaching call. Love you! Thanks for your support.