Sometimes I think I was born with a need for speed :) I appreciate fast cars, fast bikes, and I find myself making fast friends. (Ironically, I walk slowly and get a headache/zone out if someone is talking too fast haha)
I love to get work done quickly, and found that I was always bouncing around trying to see everyone and do everything with all of the extra free time I gained (especially while traveling!). I would rush to wake up early to start working even when I’d worked late into the night. It was becoming exhausting.
I felt that I was being tugged in a million directions…especially when trying to meet the expectations of others. Though I believe it is a sign of respect to be on time and do what you say you’re going to do, I started to question if I was really needed at the meeting I was rushing to attend.
Why was I constantly overbooking my schedule and leaving no time to breathe? And beyond that, in the grand scheme of things, how important was it really? Did it really matter?
More and more, the answer was no, it is really not that important! I was assigning such huge importance to things I considered “tasks”…missing meals, not getting enough sleep, and fore-going more important things just to fulfill obligations and do things other people considered important.
As with everything, balance is always required…and I don’t get my way every day. But I found that as you learn your own limits, you have to reflect that reality into your calendar. Now if I have a long night, I schedule in a late morning start the next day. Now when I travel, I try to set up a couple of events to see who I can, and appreciate those moments, instead of racing around town to see everyone I know.
I no longer rush around town for appointments to see doctors, hair stylists, or manicurists because I realized that they usually don’t start on time anyway (for the record, I try to leave early enough to be on time ;). And I recognize that none of those appointments are worth a car accident. I schedule time with friends when I can, but I have become comfortable with saying that I can’t attend events that I don’t really have the time or energy to enjoy. I get to the airport an hour or two early so I don’t have to worry about running around the airport or being anxious about missing the flight.
All of these small changes have made a big difference. I have more time to do things I enjoy and less stress because I’m not constantly trying to over-extend myself.
And I’m able to calmly write this post at 8.30am from my hotel room…even though a bunch of meetings were starting at 8:00am…because I was up working until 11pm and I decided none of those meetings were worth setting an alarm for 6am and rushing all morning to get there “on time”. Therefore, I did not commit to any of them and prioritized sleep and zen vibes over craziness haha ;)
I hope you are inspired to do the same. After all, you really can’t stop and smell the roses if you don’t give yourself time to do so ;)
Photo source: slow down