Somehow I continue to be surprised by the learning I get to do in my business.
After three months of running my own business, I was surprised to find that my self-care (exercise, socializing, being outside) is actually worse than when I worked a full-time job at Apple!
Part of my reason for leaving Apple to start my coaching business – in addition to more meaningful work – was to have more freedom and balance in my life. I wanted to enjoy summers with my son, to feel free and relaxed to take time off when I wanted to, to enjoy nature & being outside. But I wasn’t doing these things.
I had good reasons for this and I was committed to fixing it… in a few weeks or months once things settled down. Once I felt more stable. Once my business had reached certain milestones. Once my schedule stabilized. Like many of my clients, I had a lot of reasons why now wasn’t the time to start.
I could just push through, but I found there’s a reason why I don’t move forward. I’m not yet seeing myself as the “new me”. I’m not aligned to that view of myself as a successful business owner, with balance, ease, joy, and freedom in how I spend my time. I’m still operating from my old assumption: that I have to be working all the time or I’m not doing enough. To make a change, I have to recognize and shift my belief system.
I’ve been working on this by choosing a new belief – seeing myself as the person who feels comfortable and easy taking time for myself – and taking steps to support it. Like going for a walk in the middle of the day. Joining the gym. Watering the garden at lunch time. Brainstorming as I walk around the block. All of these actions are ones that my “future self” will be taking. By taking them now, I am aligning myself and my beliefs to that future vision of myself.
As I head off on vacation next week, I will be applying this lesson. My future self takes vacation freely, with joy, ease, and appreciation for the time off. I’ll be taking the steps to support that belief. So don’t expect to hear much from me for the next few weeks!
