Sometimes, You Need A Break

Hi, Beautiful One,

"Your goals aren't going to achieve themselves." This statement is true and dangerous all at the same time. There's a new wave of hustlers in our world right now. The side hustle has become a new accolade to break free from the ongoing 9 to 5 job sequence. Weight loss journeys streamed in front of our faces. Financial freedom dangled like a piece of meat on a rope in front of us on a treadmill. It's all so admirable until it burns us out.

There's nothing wrong with these goals. In fact, it's a refreshing relief to see a world so full of people conquering inner demons. It takes a great deal of self-awareness to look at yourself and realize there's a need for change. That's one thing we forget on this road to bettering ourselves: rest. We have forgotten what it means to take a break. Blame it on social media, blame it on our access to information, or blame it on envy itself; we have forgotten to step back and breathe.

Burnout is a real thing. Sometimes, we don't expect it, and it just happens. In our planning, we forget to take time to step away. We become so enamored with the idea of our end result that we forsake our steps. Our burnout is where setbacks take place. A self-doubt cycle begins. Before we know it, we're back to where we started feeling worse than before. What if we could plan for it? What if there were a way to prepare?

Expectations vs. Reality

There's nothing wrong with wanting more for yourself. The absence of that desire shows the absence of the fight necessary to grow. The problem is we see the end result of someone else's journey and think it happened overnight. So, we create these unrealistic dates and times to accomplish things. Goals that took someone else 60 days could take you 120 days. Expectations met without grace are unrealistic. Expectations with self-awareness are the path toward accomplishing your goals. It is okay to be honest with yourself about your timeline. You'll get there when you are supposed to get there.

Know Your Limits

There's pushing yourself, then there's running yourself ragged. If you're tired, accept it. Yes, do it afraid. Work unmotivated. After that, listen to your body. We can't forget our threshold for the pains of life. Your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being is more important than any achievement. Slow down. It's not a sprint. It's a marathon. Pace yourself.

Doing Nothing is Okay

If the thought of spending a day doing nothing gives you anxiety, that's a sign. Have you ever made time to acknowledge how far you have come? A day of nothing could help. Sometimes, perspective is needed to renew your mind before continuing forward. If you're willing to, take a bird's eye view of everything you have done. There were moments when you thought yourself incapable of making it through, but you did it. Take a day to reflect and celebrate yourself.

We have to remind ourselves that we will make it. We'll get there because we made a decision to go down this path. The world wants us to rush. Social media makes us think we're so far away from the goal, but we are closer than we think we are. You are closer than you think you are. It's okay to rest. Take a break. You have earned your moment in the sunlight.