On letting it be easy...
Each month I like to set myself an intention - a mantra or phrase that I can turn to throughout the month, something that will keep me grounded and remind me of what I’m trying to achieve.
For August, the intention I set was “let it be easy”. The reason I chose that phrase was simple - I’d realised that during lockdown, I’d got into a bad habit of making life much more difficult than it needed to be. I’d slipped back into my least favourite habit of overthinking everything, I was putting way too much on my plate with work, and even the simplest of life admin tasks was beginning to feel overwhelming.
I don’t think I’m the only one who’s felt this way recently. Life has been hard for the majority of us this year, and I think subconsciously, we’ve kind of accepted that that’s the way it has to be. I started 2020 with a focus on balance and ease, but once survival mode kicked in, that focus was quickly replaced with doing whatever was needed to make it through. I wanted August to be the month where I hit reset and started to become more intentional again.
So what did I learn during my month of letting it be easy? Well, first up, I learned that rather ironically, it’s not always easy to do - especially if like me, you’re a bit of a control freak. My innate response is to worry or stress or work hard to get something fixed - leaning into the easier option doesn’t come naturally. But with a bit of practice, I got there.
I learned that so often, making things harder than they need to be in my business is a symptom of imposter syndrome. We’ve been taught that work should be hard in order to be valuable, and so instead of leaning into the work that feels most natural and easy to me (which is always coaching, whether 1:1 or in a group), I’d started to let the other stuff - creating content, fiddling with techy bits, all of the boring admin that comes with being a business owner - dominate my schedule in order to make me feel worthy. In the process of trying to let it be easy, I realised that in order to truly flourish in this business that I’ve built, I need to free up more time for the work I love most.
I also realised that I’d fallen into a pattern of making even the simplest of activities become difficult. Getting out for a run involved a huge back and forth argument in my brain, wasting a tonne of energy before I’d even broken a sweat. I constantly felt behind with housework, I was struggling to keep up with the many Whatsapp groups that have popped up over the last few months, and I was spending way too much time on social media. My commitment to letting it be easy forced me to let go of the drama and simplify things a little.
My August intention not only freed up some much needed headspace at a time when I needed it the most, it also showed me how desperately I need to cling onto the concept of ease long after summer is a distant memory. So how will I be doing that?
Well, let’s start with work. In the last few weeks I’ve been working away behind the scenes to streamline as much of the boring stuff as possible - setting up better client onboarding processes, improving the way I track my accounts and generally just getting all the admin stuff into better shape so that I can free up more time for coaching. I’ve also decided to cut back on how regularly I’m sharing content too, as putting it together takes a lot of time and energy - my hope is that by reducing the volume of content I’m sharing, I can make sure everything feels high quality and valuable.
I’ve also been making some changes in my personal life, too. Firstly, I’ve made exercise a non-negotiable on weekdays. That might sound counterintuitive for someone who’s trying to make their life easier, but taking away the decision means I can get out the door each morning without any of the mental struggle. I’ve also been making it easier for me to invite a bit more balance into my life - using the iPhone setting to limit my access to certain apps after 8pm, keeping on top of life admin instead of letting it build up, and keeping two weekends a month free of any plans.
Letting it be easy has been such a great experiment, and one that came along when I need it most. It has reminded me of what’s most important in my life and work, and helped me to reassess my priorities accordingly. If you too are finding things a little tricky at the moment, why not set yourself a similar intention? Task yourself with prioritising ease for a little while and notice how it feels - who knows, you might end up with some long term habit changes just like me.
