How to Give Yourself an Effing Break

It is a wild time to be alive. 

Never before has there been such broad access to information and seemingly endless possibilities. 

You have high expectations of yourself are afforded every imaginable opportunity to compare yourself to others. It can be hard to keep your head above the water, to stay motivated and to believe in your own abilities. 

It’s too easy to believe that you haven’t done enough, you’re not doing enough, that you aren’t enough.

But living like that is bullshit. It’s time to take back your life and give yourself a fucking break. 

Here are my top five ways to keep working toward your goals while taking care of yourself in the process.

Set small achievable goals

Look at the big picture and then break down the steps you will need to go through to get there and set goals accordingly.

Start with the type of things you know you will be able to cross off the to-do list. Or, take on bigger goals broken down into manageable checkpoints. 

Want to lose 40lbs? Start by aiming to lose 5. 

Want to eat a more plant-based diet? Start adding some kale leaves to your smoothie. 

There are little things you can do each and every day that can get you on your way to where you are going. Instead of beating yourself up for not achieving all of your hopes and dreams overnight, start small and you will realize how these mini achievements can add up to big milestones.

Don’t overbook yourself

When you are trying to do too many things at once life can feel incredibly overwhelming. 

If you want to avoid feeling like you are constantly on the brink of a meltdown, stop spreading yourself so thin. 

One solution is to sit down and make a few lists. Use headings like work, family, social and personal and list your obligations under each category in terms of priority. 

Then, take out a calendar or planner and assign time to each task. Got too much on your plate? What can be shifted or eliminated? 

When you are done you should still have pockets of free time. Now when you are in one of those pockets you can enjoy it wholeheartedly without being drenched in that feeling of impending doom that you should be doing something else. 

You’ve got this! 

Find an accountability coach

An accountability coach can be hired or be a homie. 

This is someone to cheer you on when you’re on a roll or can give you a pep talk when you are falling off track. 

Having someone with your best interests at heart by your side--or just a phone call away--can help keep you moving and keep you sane. 

Doing this for someone else can also help you stay motivated together!

Celebrate your wins

When you reach a goal, don't be so caught up in what's next you forget to celebrate your win.

Reaching your goals should feel awesome and you have to build in the positive reinforcement of celebration in order to stay on track.

Whether it’s shaving 30 seconds off your time at the track, or the fact you made it to yoga class three times a week for a month--it all matters! 

Give yourself a pat on the back, be proud. 

You made a commitment to yourself and you honored it. Your work might not be done yet but you’ve started to build a solid foundation. 

Keep going and you will ticking off bigger boxes in no time.

Set yourself on a collision course with the things that light you up

Really ask yourself what brings you joy, peace, and contentment. 

These are the things that inspire creativity, excite you, and help you sleep well at night. 

When you know what your 'pick-me-up triggers' are, consult your calendar and ask yourself: 

How can I collide with the things that bring me the most joy, peace, and contentment?

These need to become part of your personal non-negotiable obligations. 

After all, they are the activities that ground you and remind you why you work so hard in the first place.

This can be something as simple as a cup of tea alone in the morning, or a regular night out with the gals. 

While these might not seem directly related to achieving your goals, if you forfeit these experiences, it becomes too easy to get lost in the sea of your schedule. Make sure you add not only work to your calendar, but play as well.

In Summary

You are a total boss. 

You work hard and deserve to enjoy the journey as much as the destination. 

Take control of your time, actions, and thoughts and you can live free knowing that you are doing enough.

But more importantly, that you ARE enough.