Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should

Do you feel like you should be doing it all? All of it. Like right now.

Do you get the sensation that you need to be doing more, in your business and in your life? That when you’re called upon, you feel like you just have to say yes? Just one more time!

Oftentimes, we can get into the cycle of constantly wanting to over-perform, believing that it helps us stand out and makes everyone around us happy, that it’s the good, nice thing to do, and if we are capable of delivering “x” then why shouldn’t we?

As creatives, we are wearing many different hats.

We are multi-talented, and absolutely multi-passionate, so to pick up another responsibility, sell a new product, or offer a “no brainer” service is usually not too much of a stretch. Right?

But when was the last time you physically stopped before you started, pondered, and asked yourself if what you were about to do was going to support your overall vision and intentionally get you where you want to be? Is it truly adding or is it subtracting?

I like to think of the time and energy we have in a day like a bank account.

We get to choose who and what we spend it on, and if we decide to spend it doing something that we could do a pretty darn good job of (and would really help someone else out) OR if we lean into two minutes of non-people-pleasing discomfort, own and respect our line/boundary/internal guide, and positively and politely refrain. Before we know it, it’s over! And we have just respected our own time and in doing so invested in our own value and wellbeing.

Choosing wisely and honoring our inner boundaries is like using a muscle.

The more you do it, the easier it will become. You’ll have more energy to invest in the things you consciously decide to do and say yes to, and that sticky feeling of frustration will soon be the dust cloud in your rearview mirror.

Over to you: How often do you feel like you should be doing more? If you find yourself feeling overcommitted, what signs are popping up? How do you like to move forward?

You’ve got this!

xo, Rachel