How many times do we say to ourselves, “ If I could just keep my head above water”. We think if we can just keep up, maintain the status quo, and not slip farther behind we’re doing good.
If we look at nature we see the idea of “status quo” is really just an illusion. Life is either in a state of growth and regeneration or a state of decline. There is no magical in between where things just stay the same. Now I don’t point this out to discourage you. Instead, I hope to help you become more aware of the thoughts and actions that are contributing to your current situation. Here’s some food for thought.
Indecision is still a decision.
We are faced with 2 choices. We can either make a decision and take action towards that decision or we can choose not to make a decision. Making a decision gives us control. Whereas when we choose not to make a decision, we are in effect giving up control. Many times delayed decisions result in situations or circumstances arising that then limit how we can respond.
Don’t believe everything you think.
Often times our emotions get the better of us. We all have projects that the mere thought of fills us with dread. It has been my experience that we tend to overexaggerate the unknown in our minds. As a result, our anticipation of doing a task is often much worse than the reality of doing the task. One of my favorite things is to go into a client’s home and see a task that has been repeatedly put off and encouraging them to jump in and tackle it right now. There is always hesitation at first and sometimes a little opposition. But when it’s all done, their faces light up and they are amazed that it wasn’t as bad as they thought it was going to be and often remark they wish they’d done it sooner.
Being reactive is radioactive.
I heard a very powerful statement from a speaker once. He said, the phrase “I don’t have time” is a lie. I believe this to be true. It’s a lie we tell ourselves when we choose to be reactive instead of mindfully taking control of our time. We all have the exact same amount of currency in our daily time bank. It is up to us how we choose to spend it. I promise that if you don’t choose how you spend your time someone or something else will be more than happy to take that time from you. Another quote I love is “Decisions about time are decisions about values”. If that quote is true, what does the ledger in your time bank say about what you truly value?
Don’t become a victim of Super Hero Syndrome.
Because we wear so many hats, we have a habit of expecting superhuman feats from ourselves. We feel like we have to be everything for everybody all the time. Let’s take a step back and look at this from another perspective. How many different people have supported you, helped you and guided you throughout your life? I’m going to go out on a limb and say the number was greater than one. Did any of those people bring a unique perspective or skill set that the others may not have had? You wouldn’t expect any one of those people to fulfill every need you have. It’s unreasonable. Yet you expect that of yourself. We learn and grow through helping others and having different experiences. Don’t be a service hog. Just because you can (or have the ability to) doesn’t mean you should.
Are you in the ocean treading water because it seems too hard and it will take too much energy to climb into the boat? My final thought for you is this. It’s up to you to save yourself. Your energy and your resolve are slowly slipping away. You can make the decision to climb into the boat and act accordingly or you can continue what you’re doing and hope for a miracle. The choice is yours.
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