Are You Overcommitted?
Life is crazy. And in a land of opportunity, there’s always more to be had, more to do, more to see and bigger goals to set forth. On one hand, this is great. On the other, it’s overwhelming and exhausting.
If you’re feeing run down and struggling to keep up, it’s time to take inventory on what you’re doing and see if it aligns with where you want to go.
Overcommitting keeps you from getting what you want. It hinders progress. And is an overused (yet acceptable) method of procrastination. I saw this a LOT last week, both personally and professionally.
On a personal level, I was packing my schedule with ALL of the things possible to grow Taylored Health. From content creation (blogging, YouTubes, social media and email campaigns) to front-line work (networking events, workshops and client consults), I was going at it hard, from every angle, without clearly defined goals or even strategies. I essentially became a professional spaghetti slinger – throwing noodles at the wall, hoping they stuck.
Professionally, I had a Follow-Up Consultation* with a client who was not progressing towards her goals. Judging by her words and actions (booking multiple consults with me), this client clearly wanted change; however, she lacked follow through.
Why? Because the action steps we agreed upon were too big and out of reach. I recommended, she overcommitted and at the end of the day we both failed. But it ended up being ok. During our session, we talked through her challenges and limitations, and ultimately broke these action steps down into smaller, more doable, bite-sized pieces.
*Note: this is why follow-up sessions with your coach are essential. If you truly want change, I recommend starting small and continue building until new habits are engrained and you feel confident going off on your own. Given that it takes approximately 66 days to form a new habit, working with a coach for at least 8 weeks is the bear bones minimum for true lifestyle change. I have 12-week coaching packages now available - reach out to learn more!
Top 5 Tips To Break The Overcommitment Cycle:
Step back - take a minute to evaluate what you're doing and what the ultimate goal is. Then ask yourself "is this actually working for me?".
Say "no" to things you really don't want to do or that don't align with your values/goals. - take inventory on the energy vampires in your life (gal pals, activities, environments, jobs) and create boundaries.
Before you take something on, ask yourself "can I really do this...or is it too much for me at this time?"
Put self-care on your schedule - block off the time. Have at least 1 day a week where you do for you*. Turn off the TV and get to bed earlier.
*this is especially important for service providers (doctors, nurses, estheticians, coaches, etc.) and mamas who are doing for EVERYONE else all week long.
Realize that you don't have to respond right away* - to that text, email, voicemail or DM. Finish what you’re doing and allot certain times in the day for social media, chit chat, etc.
*emergencies are the exception that requires immediate attention.
Listen, I get the overcommitment thing. We're people pleasers. We want to be liked. To fit in. To do it all. To show up for others. But if we're not showing up for ourselves FIRST, we can't possibly show up fully for others.
If you’ve been overcommitting yourself recently and are noticing your self-care practices fall by the wayside, let’s chat. Click HERE to book a One-On-One Session* with me.
*Nutrition Coaching packages available upon request