Here’s my personal update for the week: I’ve been feeling stuck.
Like, really, really stuck.
Maybe it’s the repressed social justice warrior in me starting to regain strength. Where do I begin?
Maybe it’s the cultural background I’ve been trying to hide making it’s way back to the forefront. Can I still be successful?
Maybe it’s the baby growing in my womb. Everything’s going to change.
I feel like I’m at a crossroads, but not one of the neat tidy ones where you have to pick from two options.
No. This crossroads feels more like the tangled mess of string my 3 year old has for some reason been dragging around the house like a stuffed toy.
Add to that the crazy pregnancy hormones, the nausea otherwise known as the first trimester, and my utter exhaustion after a day of snacking and resting (seriously, where’s all my energy??)…
Here’s what I’m doing to keep myself sane, keep my business afloat, and even make some progress during this time:
1. Journal
There’s something about putting things down on paper, isn’t there?
When my mind feels like a crazy mess of millions and millions of trains of thought, nothing gives me relief and space to think quite so quickly as journaling can.
So, I’ve been journaling. In the notebook I take everywhere I go. In the margins of my planner. On random pieces of paper that eventually get recycled.
Journaling frees up our thoughts. Because if it’s on paper, you don’t have to think about it any more. Because if you’ve written it, you’ve started to process it in a different way. There are studies conducted by reputable people that say so. If I had a little more energy, I would cite them.
2. Talk to a friend
It helps immensely if she has otherworldly coaching skills (Thank you, Katie!).
Seriously, I don’t know why I still try to be all stoic and keep everything neatly together all on my own. I know plenty of awesome people who are more than willing to meet for coffee or a video call and just let me vent.
So, I’m committing to doing that more. To reaching out for help and asking for coffee dates and to taking it beyond my own benefit and offering that kind of communal support to others.
Because this journey is hard. But it’s harder when we try to do it on our own.
3. Be kind to myself
I need rest. I need time. I need to move more slowly than I’d planned. And that’s ok.
Yes, it’s frustrating sometimes. Yes, I feel like I’m doing a whole lot of sitting around. And Ellie and I aren’t doing nearly as much as we did last summer. And that’s ok.
I can’t do anything to change where I am right now. I can’t make it go by faster. I can’t figure out these big questions over night. This stuff takes time.
And I know it’s gonna mean big, amazing, positive changes for my brand, my business… heck, my entire life. I seriously can’t wait to be on the other side of this, just because I want to know so badly what this all will look like.
But for now, all I can do is give myself time and enjoy the flow life has me in at the moment. Beating myself up over things I have no control over isn’t gonna change anything. It’s just gonna make the ride miserable.
It’s funny how life likes to throw us for a loop right when we start feeling like we’ve got things figured out. It seems like so many people in my circles are facing something similar.
Is that you? Do you want to chat? I’m opening up 30-minute virtual coffee dates this week. We can talk about where you’re at and I’ll share anything useful I might have.*
*I sometimes offer these coffee chats to my email list. If you’re interested in future opportunities to talk, sign up for the email list here:
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