Self-portrait, Seattle, WA, Canon Rebel Xti 
If you are reading this you are probably overwhelmed. Right? (If you aren’t overwhelmed I would love to know your secret!) But for the rest of us, we live in a world where we are juggling so many things. Whether it’s juggling kids and work, a day job with your creative life, or all the other commitments and responsibilities we take on, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed a lot of the time. But something got clear for me today.
I have been reading the super inspiring Chris Guillebeau’s site recently, and something in his 279 days manifesto really hit home. It was a small thing, directed toward bloggers like myself, a simple recommendation to schedule the days that you publish. It doesn’t matter if you choose 2, 3 or 7 days,
just choose what days you want to publish and follow through on that promise.
I had been thinking about doing this already, but what I realized is what creating a schedule actually gives you- Enoughness. Really, truly. In the world of overwhelm there is never enough. There is not enough time, money, resources, to keep you going. Your heart is racing, you are always behind, you are not doing enough. It is a rough way to live. I know this from personal experience.
What I considered today was this: What if I decided what was enough? What if I decided that posting three essays a week was really, really enough? Or maybe two essays is enough. When I think about simplifying my life, I need to consider the question: How much is enough for me to feel satisfied? How much will get the job done? It occurred to me that it’s possible that I already average about 2 or 3 posts a week, but I never feel the satisfaction of a job well done, or a sense of completion because I never declared what I was committed to. I never decided what was enough.
I can also see that I suffer from the same problem in the realm of finances. I don’t create sales goals or budgets, I don’t know for sure how much money I make or how much money I need to earn to keep my finances healthy and abundant. I simply bust my butt to make as much as I can, spend as little as possible, treat myself to cute clothes occasionally and pray that everything works out. This does not make me a bad person, and so far it has worked out okay, but I also rob myself of the satisfaction of knowing I am earning what I set out to. My default is to assume that I’m not earning enough, or not doing enough to earn that money, but a lot of the time I actually am.
Does anyone out there relate to this?
Where in our lives have we not distinguished what enough looks like? Without this, we are constantly disappointed in ourselves, constantly afraid and thoroughly overwhelmed. And if we are creating realistic goals and still feeling overwhelmed, perhaps it’s time to simplify again. Saying no is powerful.
And if you are a perfectionist like me, and wonder if good enough is well, good enough, I am here to say that it is. Good enough is really effin good.
My pal, Mike Robbins (author of Focus on the Good Stuff) just came out with his newest book. I like how authenticity is making a comeback, how we are connecting again to what it means to be our true selves and the power we can find in that one promise to ourself.
Just started Katherine Center’s debut book on the airplane and she had me hooked immediately. Very fun and easy to enjoy.
I know nothing about this book and haven’t opened it yet, but the cover appeals to me so much I will happily just put it by my nightstand to look pretty.
This collection of essays is such a powerful, funny and moving look at having a daughter and being a daughter. It’s a great gift for mother’s day.
Another book that had me at the cover! I’m looking forward to soaking in Amanda Soule’s philosophy on parenting and creative living.
. One of the pieces that struck me the most was the distinction between guilt and shame. Said simply, the self-talk for guilt is “I did something bad.” The self-talk for shame is, “I am bad.”
