After I write this blog post, I have a lot of work to do. I’ve got to write up notes from a client session, save them as a nice PDF and send them over. I’ve got to edit a document for a super-special-secret project I’m working on with Make Lemonade. I’ve got to prep for my group meeting of The Foundery this afternoon, where we’re doing a special check-in activity. I’ve got to wrap up a round of edits on a big Etsy project I’m working on. I have to follow up on emails and onboard a new client. And finally, I’ve got to get my head in the game for a last-minute talk I was asked to give at Mogo which I am so excited about! Oh, and did I mention that my bestie arrives tomorrow from New York? So I also have to get my apartment ready for her.
When I sat down at my computer and opened this tab, my fingers were itching to open my Asana task list, my email, and my calendar. I wanted to get to work, A$AP Rocky. I wanted to skip over the writing, and not do my meditation, and retroactively not sleep in this morning. I wanted to use this very convenient loophole (“I have so much to do!! I’m sick!!”) to “get out of” the habits that I know most help me stay calm and sane, especially during stressful times.
But I’m glad I slept in a bit, because my horrible head cold finally feels like it’s on its last legs. And I’m glad I meditated, because my days are always worse without it. And I’m glad I’m writing this, because it’s helping me process my thoughts, be more mindful, and notice my negative thought patterns.
It occurs to me that my real work on this planet is learning to manage my own mind. The real work is not all the nagging tasks I do every day, measured in my productive output and financial success. The real work is measured by how positive my self-talk is, and how disciplined I am in my self-care, and how much energy and connection I feel on a daily basis.
The real work is not letting resistance win, is breaking through those upper limits, is coaching yourself through painful moments, is staying grounded and connected to yourself through thick and thin. The real work is scheduling in your non-negotiables, and saying no to people/places/things that drain you, and listening to your body, even when it’s inconvenient.
Seen that way, there’s nothing more important than what I’m writing right now. There’s nothing more important than taking care of the instrument that is me, in any & every way I know how. Tasks and projects may come and go, but the real work is forever.
