Coming Up For Air
It's March 6th and I'm JUST getting to blog!
I have been so busy building my business and gaining new coaching clients that I've managed to shirk most of the things that bring me joy.
Some would say growing your business is a great problem to have. I would agree to a certain point. I would say that I have been so focused on building my business, planning a wedding and trying to save the world- that the work stress monkey is on my back once again and I'm starting to experience some good old fashioned self induced stress symptoms. YAS! They're baccck!
Since I'm hip to the fact that this is not how I want to live my dream job, I took a step back and started to question what the heck was going on. Where was this stress coming from and what was the root cause?
I realized like in my old job...I was owning projected stress and expectations that others were placing on my already high list of expectations. I know it's an important gig! I get that you're super freaked out that this client is super demanding and expects the best. I also know that your bar isn't even close to the bar I've set for myself to do a great job. I had to separate what was reality from the fiction that I was choosing to embrace.
What oldie but goody symptoms were back? Some greats from 1998. Yes, it was a very good year. I hadn't recognized that my climb up the company ladder involved any stress at all. I just transitioned from Customer Service to National Accounts. I was on my way to work when I sneezed getting changed for work and my back seized up and I wasn't able to stand up. I was in a 90 degree angle. And get this, I was trying to get into my car and drive to work. When I realized that was a futile decision, I reluctantly called my boss and called out of work. We had already experienced the Pavlovian response of calling out sick at the call center. Back in the day, the policy was 3 strikes and you were out...yes, on a corrective action and on your way out of the business.
So, I never called out. I went to work sick thinking in my mind that making others sick was much better than getting fired for being sick myself. This logic was majorly jacked up because what I later learned is that by getting others sick I was weakening the productivity and attendance for everyone.
So my back was out and I also experience an optical migraine Another goodie from the past. This caused my left eye to feel that it had a blurry film preventing me from seeing clearly. I chalked it up to fatigue and then once I thought long and hard about when I last had this symptom, coupled with my back being out...I started to think...what's going on in my life where my body is screaming for me to slow down?
I was saying YES to every Discovery Call with potential clients, I was training a class or webinar a day and I was also trying manage what little life I had left by working out or trying to remember to eat. Usually I stress eat. Well, now the tables have turned and I don't eat at all.
I had to scream like Susan Powter and say "Stop The Insanity!"
I needed to get a grip on the reality that I was facing. I can't help anymore people if I can't stop and help myself. These old symptoms were my body's way of telling me that if I was going to ignore the recent symptoms of stress, why not throw in some old symptoms that I wasn't so savvy at identifying and really set me back a few days. My body was telling me to slow down. Getting out and getting some air and walking more also helped. That fresh air cleared my mind and opened me up to being more aware of what was going on in my life.
I took a look at my calendar for the next few weeks and did some major While You Were Out renovations. I had to build in time for me to just friggin live! Doing for others without doing for myself wasn't serving me well. And how in the world and I going to coach others to take care of themselves and I can't even sit still with the heating pad on my shoulder and relax?!
I was successfully able to complete all tasks on my plate WHILE taking some good care of myself. I asked for help with the wedding planning and guess what- I got help! I moved meeting around to support my schedule with more me-time and my clients are still pouring in! What a transition!
The world went on spinning without me being in the mix 24/7 and I have been more energized to support the clients that need my help.
I'm also able to build in more ME time so I can continue to do the things that I love. Like blogging.
I have been so busy building my business and gaining new coaching clients that I've managed to shirk most of the things that bring me joy.
Some would say growing your business is a great problem to have. I would agree to a certain point. I would say that I have been so focused on building my business, planning a wedding and trying to save the world- that the work stress monkey is on my back once again and I'm starting to experience some good old fashioned self induced stress symptoms. YAS! They're baccck!
Since I'm hip to the fact that this is not how I want to live my dream job, I took a step back and started to question what the heck was going on. Where was this stress coming from and what was the root cause?
I realized like in my old job...I was owning projected stress and expectations that others were placing on my already high list of expectations. I know it's an important gig! I get that you're super freaked out that this client is super demanding and expects the best. I also know that your bar isn't even close to the bar I've set for myself to do a great job. I had to separate what was reality from the fiction that I was choosing to embrace.
What oldie but goody symptoms were back? Some greats from 1998. Yes, it was a very good year. I hadn't recognized that my climb up the company ladder involved any stress at all. I just transitioned from Customer Service to National Accounts. I was on my way to work when I sneezed getting changed for work and my back seized up and I wasn't able to stand up. I was in a 90 degree angle. And get this, I was trying to get into my car and drive to work. When I realized that was a futile decision, I reluctantly called my boss and called out of work. We had already experienced the Pavlovian response of calling out sick at the call center. Back in the day, the policy was 3 strikes and you were out...yes, on a corrective action and on your way out of the business.
So, I never called out. I went to work sick thinking in my mind that making others sick was much better than getting fired for being sick myself. This logic was majorly jacked up because what I later learned is that by getting others sick I was weakening the productivity and attendance for everyone.
So my back was out and I also experience an optical migraine Another goodie from the past. This caused my left eye to feel that it had a blurry film preventing me from seeing clearly. I chalked it up to fatigue and then once I thought long and hard about when I last had this symptom, coupled with my back being out...I started to think...what's going on in my life where my body is screaming for me to slow down?
I was saying YES to every Discovery Call with potential clients, I was training a class or webinar a day and I was also trying manage what little life I had left by working out or trying to remember to eat. Usually I stress eat. Well, now the tables have turned and I don't eat at all.
I had to scream like Susan Powter and say "Stop The Insanity!"
I needed to get a grip on the reality that I was facing. I can't help anymore people if I can't stop and help myself. These old symptoms were my body's way of telling me that if I was going to ignore the recent symptoms of stress, why not throw in some old symptoms that I wasn't so savvy at identifying and really set me back a few days. My body was telling me to slow down. Getting out and getting some air and walking more also helped. That fresh air cleared my mind and opened me up to being more aware of what was going on in my life.
I took a look at my calendar for the next few weeks and did some major While You Were Out renovations. I had to build in time for me to just friggin live! Doing for others without doing for myself wasn't serving me well. And how in the world and I going to coach others to take care of themselves and I can't even sit still with the heating pad on my shoulder and relax?!
I was successfully able to complete all tasks on my plate WHILE taking some good care of myself. I asked for help with the wedding planning and guess what- I got help! I moved meeting around to support my schedule with more me-time and my clients are still pouring in! What a transition!
The world went on spinning without me being in the mix 24/7 and I have been more energized to support the clients that need my help.
I'm also able to build in more ME time so I can continue to do the things that I love. Like blogging.
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