Embrace the Ebb & Flow: Part 1
The new year is well under way. As one year ends and a new one begins, we find ourselves reflecting on last year’s experiences and achievements, as well as our shortcomings; resolutions that were broken and goals that fell short.
For most of us who have experienced the healthy economy swamped by client and project demands, many personal goals may have fallen by the wayside, as working overtime may have overwhelmed our focus. This is both a blessing and a curse; a blessing due to the productive rewarding work days, a curse due to the lack of attention and development to our personal goals.
“I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to live the width of it as well.”
It’s critical to remind ourselves that we should allow space for the ebb and flow of a heavy workload balanced by our personal lives and goals, on a daily or weekly basis. We must forgive ourselves for not accomplishing our goals perfectly, and recognize the parts that have been achieved so we can springboard from them into the coming year. We must also assess how to adjust our days – individually or within the week – to allow us to chip away at our goals in a balanced and healthy way, so neither our work responsibilities nor our personal well-being is jeopardized.
As creatives, we typically fall victim to over commitment and perfectionism, which often causes us to forget the world and literally immerse ourselves in our projects and our work days on end; this was engrained in us in the early days of our college experience, and most of us carry it still. Unfortunately, this leads to unhealthy lifestyles riddled with shaky relationships, threatened health, and incomplete goals. For an optimum balanced and healthy lifestyle, we must allow ourselves the space for the enjoyment of life; time with loved ones, time with our goals, and time for a mental and physical reset.
We must recognize that it’s not all or nothing; just as we tackle our daily work tasks while also fitting time to brush our teeth and wash our face, we must also allow time for daily walks, focused creative sessions, and outreach to colleagues (or whatever you believe you need to do) to maintain a balanced life, and to help us reach our goals.
Maintaining an “overtime” mentality in moderation allows for a healthy and balanced lifestyle. If daily personal habits are not achievable, then we must allow the ebb and flow from one day to the next to lead to an overall balanced week.
Happy New Year! Take it easy on yourself.
