As my inbox has been unusually quiet recently with clients and connections on their holidays, it made me wonder about myself.

Why was I bothered?  What was it that was supposed to be happening at the moment that wasn’t?  What was I assuming it meant?

One of my clients said to me once that she felt that if it wasn’t ‘hurting’ then she wasn’t working hard enough…and someone would find out…

What?!  

That’s a phrase I’ll always remember because it gives us that jolt of a reality check.  And one we must really pay attention to.

That sense of:

• Expectations of yourself to be flat out to be relevant. 
• Running faster and faster to prove you’re worthy.
• Assuming there’s something wrong if you’re not exhausted at the end of the day.
• Feeling guilty if you take time out to read, garden, go out for lunch etc
• Putting off the admin-related things you suddenly have time for because they’re not exciting/interesting enough…

Well, knowing that I know that about others I needed reminding about myself. 

So I got to it, but only at a pace which felt easy, because I could!

• This very week I had time and space to help a friend’s son who had lost his way at work and had no idea how to pull together a CV.  Did that with him and he’s fired up and ready to go.
• I’d been putting off pulling together a schedule of updates for a client.  Did that and I feel fired up and ready for September when we start again.
• Applied for a voluntary role which needed thought and planning.  Did that and have a date in the diary for an interview.

AND

• Took time to read in the garden.  Did that AND without guilt…
• Had some ‘maintenance’ done as Snowy calls it – hair and nails and enjoyed it rather than rushed it.
• Had a couple of long chats with girlfriends in the middle of the day. 

Slowing down isn’t giving in or giving up.  That’s just a story we tell ourselves .

Just like that crappy story about work having to hurt or you’re not working hard enough.  Happily that particularly client has changed her mind and her story about that too!

A final word on the matter…

=======================

 And in other news…

================= 

Douglas and Miss Thelma have been going to Playschool, as we call it, to meet other dogs and be more socialised.  Both of them come home exhausted after all the stimulation!  Miss Thelma still has to have a nappy on when she’s in my office as I have floorboards in there and she can’t quite be trusted to only pee outside…yet!