Do you set monthly goals?
One of my resolutions for this year was a continued effort in finding balance between my work and personal life. I think with social media being a big part of my job, I find myself working on days that I truly try to take a break. I’ve decided I’m okay with it, as long as I make a concerted effort to try to do things that bring me joy. Lately, I’ve been trying to take two dance classes per week, because I love dance so much. This weekend, I went the extra step and booked a private session which was both uncomfortable (woof, the attention to every little detail was hard) but equally rewarding. I felt really proud of myself to get outside my comfort zone and continue making strides towards improving upon something I really love.
I’m really good at cramming a lot into my days, and it’s one of the things I like about myself. Today, for example, I listened to 3 podcasts while cleaning the entire house top to bottom, did two loads of laundry, took a dance class and private class, did 3 hours of work, managed to slow down long enough to watch the Meghan and Harry interview (WOW) and will be asleep by 10:45pm, ready to rise at 4:45am tomorrow. While I like that I’m good at cramming a lot into my days, I’m realizing there is room for improvement in the form of slowing down.
Last month, I redeemed a massage that was so relaxing my Whoop recorded it as a nap, and I felt so good, I thought, 'I’ve got to try to do this once a month or so.’ That hasn’t quite happened yet - partly because massages aren’t cheap, and for some reason I find it hard to spend money on myself like that. The other reason is that lately I’ve been realizing that I have a hard time slowing down. I’ve noticed that the things that bring me the most joy (dancing, working out, going for a run, hiking) are super intense activities. I need to try to force myself to slow down because I know that even good stress (a rigorous dance class, or an intense workout session) is still stress, and if I want to stay healthy, I have to make the time to slow down and totally relax.
I’m constantly trying to figure out ways to improve my life and work on bettering myself, and this ongoing quest of balance is one of them. I’ll keep up with the dance but will also look for opportunities to slow down and make time for tv, reading, massage, and just, well, doing not much of anything… Sounds like a ridiculous problem to have, but it’s an area where I struggle because I truly am a go-go-go type of person. So that’s what I’m focusing on this month in particular. I’d love to hear what you’re working on.