Interesting how that turned out.
I started the Chalene Johnson Push program, and one of the first thing she has you do is list the 10 major areas of your life and give each one a ranking from 1 to 10 - work, finances, relationships, health, personal development, spirituality, stuff like that.
I am very happy with my family and relationships, I love my job, I'm not rich but I have enough money, I'm healthy and I'm pretty fit. The areas that I felt were suffering were more in the personal fulfillment/spirituality realms.
And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the last thing I needed was to put more pressure on myself to work harder at my coaching business or to clean out my house or go nuts trying to be super-organized.
What I really needed was to chill the fuck out and NOT put so much pressure on myself, at least for a little while.
So I decided to take the month of August off.
Not from work or life or anything like that, but from worrying about whether I'm productive enough or achieving enough or fit enough or successful enough.*
I've spent the month doing what I want and not worrying about it. I eat what I feel like, I work out or don't, depending on my mood, I've spent a lot of time relaxing and reading. On the weekends when J has the kids, I go on walks and watch whatever I want on TV and take naps. I've thought about blogging, but I didn't really feel like it, so I didn't.
This is obviously not my natural, comfortable state of existence. It's been great, but I'm starting to feel antsy. Which is good - I'm itching to start running health and fitness challenge groups and organizing everything and sticking to a workout schedule and getting back to my Type-A self, but it's because I want to and I'll enjoy it. I've had a nice break and I feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
Today I'm taking the kids to my parents' house in Virginia for the weekend, to hang out with family (my brother Sam and his wife will also be there) and friends and enjoy the last bit of summer. I'm excited to see people I love and to have some fun.
Then in September, I'll be ready to go.
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*The irony of this decision, based upon a questionnaire from a "get organized and achieve your goals" program, is not lost on me.
There's a reason businesses shut down in August in Europe. People need to recharge. Americans just work until they grind themselves into the ground. Good for you. Excited to see you!
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