Excuses for not working.
No one can get shit done as well as I can.
Have you ever thought that?
Right now, as I sit here ….with my healthy snack, my housekeeper is cleaning, my husband is on his video conference and I can HEAR HIM (ugh), the contractor is BEHIND AGAIN!! and banging on something….and he better get River’s bedroom done by tomorrow.
And he better get my office done as well by tomorrow.
I mean how hard is it to paint and put down some base boards for god’s sake.
This project has been going on for week’s!!
BUT, the biggest pain in the butt is my work space.
My temporary office.
It’s my dining room table.
AND it’s a freakin’ mess.
Why don’t I clean it?
Well, because I feel scattered.
I don’t have my normal systems.
And you know what.
I am still working.
I am still getting stuff done.
(glad you aren’t here right now, it is SO LOUD I CAN BARELY THINK)
Sometimes we can use anything as an excuse not to do what we know needs to get done. And for me not having quiet when I work has been something that would have been extremely easy for me to use!
I am not one of those people who love to hear the hustle and bustle of others chatting, or hear other people’s phones ring, or burp, or laugh, or cough.
No, my cubicle office days are over….by choice.
So even if my temporary work space sucks, it is sooooooo much better than having a job!!
Have I had to adjust my routine, yes.
Have I had to adjust my patience, yes.
Have I given myself the grace to just walk away, or leave the house if I need to, yes.
What do you do when you want to have an excuse to take off?
And how do you know if it is an excuse, or maybe you truly need to take some breathing space?
We all have lots of possibilities for excuses for not working!
ACTION STEPS: (I suggest you create a document for each of these and add to it, review it, maybe even put it on your calendar 1x a week so that you don’t forget the answers. I don’t know about you, but when I am stressed, I seem to FORGET WHAT WORKS!! and then after it all settles down I can think logically again and almost want to kick myself that I didn’t do the “good stuff” to handle the stress)
1. Identify the way you like to work.
Do you like going to an official work space? Do you need to find a office share or is Starbucks fine? Or do you need quiet? Maybe a better pair of headphones would benefit you. Okay, now what do you need to do to support that getting done? What is in the way of having a beautiful space? of not being around noisy people, or maybe needing to be around people so you are not in those stinky, skanky yoga pants sitting behind the computer thinking that you are being busy because you are on YouTube.
2. When you become stressed, what is your default behavior?Do you walk away? Do you cuss? Eat? Yell at your staff? Identify 3 TRIGGERS that can derail you from doing your work or giving you an excuse NOT to work! Come on. Get real with yourself sister. You know by now what gets under your skin. If you think you don’t, okay, so go ask a friend, your lover, your mom. Ask, “hey honey, what do I do when I get stressed out?”….he’ll tell you. You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge, you can’t be SUPPORTIVE to yourself about your changing behaviors if you don’t recognize what needs to be adjusted. And think of it like that, adjusted.
3. What 3 things can you do that would alleviate some of the stress in your life right now?Do you need a housekeeper? Someone to go grocery shopping? Or maybe order one of those food delivery prep kits (HelloFresh)? Have you been working out? Sleeping? Now stop for a moment, you are may be thinking you “shouldn’t PAY for food delivery or a housekeeper, or a personal assistant. And I challenge you to answer, “why not?” If you are less stressed you are more productive in your business therefore you will make more money (or the money to pay for the PA, so bam, that reason/excuse is done), or maybe you have a story that if you don’t cook every night you are a bad mama/wife. And if that is the case, it is time for you to re-write that little story in your head!
Sometimes we have to get real about what IS an excuse and what IS a big pain in the ass that we need to deal with….and then either take care of it, or be compassionate to ourselves and take a break!!
(okay, so let’s break down all the stuff in the photo: salad, green tea, on the wall you can see a map of my upcoming launch, re-piping the whole house bid, tape measure cuz I am constantly measuring stuff, paint samples in the back….well and then some stuff!)
Wait to you hear more about the upcoming launch…my goal is this: easy breezy!! yep, that’s the big goal. It will make money and convert, I don’t doubt that. More importantly to me is not being stressed out about it!
I believe in YOU!
Mary
email me: I promise I can help you make more money in less time. Yep, I promise. Pinky promise even! Mary@MaryBicknell.com. Do you want to discuss how you can have a BUSINESS BREAKTHROUGH? In 40 minutes, we will come up with a plan of action, you will feel more grounded and be ready to take on the world! Here’s my calendar:
