Dear Busy Person –
You don’t need my applause, nor my sympathy – but I want you to know that I see you.
I see how hard you work every.single.dip.dang.day.
You work hard at work.
Which, in a time in which up to 80% of employees report being “disengaged,” is really saying something. (So if it feels like you are one of just 20% of the people who are doing 80% of the work, well, that actually IS what is happening.)
And even when they are constantly moving the goalposts, you still manage to excel. You make sure your team feels appreciated, and I see you protecting them as much as you can.
There’s no such thing as an 8-hour workday anymore either, is there? You work from early to late, and “lunch” is a myth.
Luckily, when you get home, you really get to put your feet up and relax.
JK.
Because there is still the dinner and the laundry and kids and the spouse and the garden and the in-laws and the bills to be paid.
You didn’t know that having a family meant you were now CEO of a million-dollar business, did you?
But it’s true. You are.
Luckily, you get to reward yourself with perks like great vacations, time with friends, and plenty of afternoons devoted to long walks in the park and other soul-restoring activities.
JK.
You spend your vacation time visiting family, which is – and hear me when I say this – NOT A VACATION.
And your time with friends is a quick chat from the car while you are on the way back from dropping the kids off somewhere.
And soul-restoring activities….well, that’s just going to have to be put off, isn’t it?
WAIT.
NOPE.
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
I know you are a crazy-busy, and most of the stuff on your platter cannot be delegated or changed –
but you MUST start making time for yourself.
Even just 15 minutes a day.
You must take time each day to fill your tank, otherwise, you will burn out completely.
(You know this is true.)
Productivity is not about doing more.
Productivity is about doing what matters.
And when you spend even just 15 minutes a day on whatever it is that matters to you, well – the other twenty-three hours and forty-five minutes go a lot more smoothly.
So this is my invitation – my plea –
You matter.
What matters to you matters.
Find 15 minutes today when you can quit putting everyone else’s needs ahead of your own and do something that you know will make a difference for YOU.
Because, darling – you are the hero of this story.
And so perhaps I misspoke when I started this – you may not need my applause, but you are definitely getting it.
(insert slow clap that builds to crowds roaring in gratitude and appreciation)
Thank you, our hero.
