Does busyness leave you exhausted & stop you from being you?

Remember when you were younger and you could just about, take on anything? You had boundless energy and the willingness to do it all. Life starts out expanding in all directions propelled by a wonder and vitality that seems limitless…

So where are we at now?

Somewhere between the excitement of building your life and the reality of getting it all done?

Same 24hrs, but do you feel like you just can’t squeeze anything else in and being hectic and overwhelmed has become the norm.

Something has to give and it’s usually the things that matter to you.

You get everything done for everyone else and when there is no time or energy left, you let go of what’s important for you. That’s when you know your full life has become a busy life.

Letting go of what’s important to you could mean:

• closing your mind to learning new tech

• saying no to opportunities

• or even forgetting what you want for yourself.

Grabbing back time by letting go of “you” might keep the show on the road for a while, but would you become stuck or under confident if it continued? How long could you be happy for, if that was it for you, if life became same old, same old.

Could limiting what makes you who you are; have unintended consequences?

Could it turn you into someone you don’t want to be?

Would you make the same choice to let a part of you go if you knew how it could turn out?

So what’s the answer?

How am I going to squeeze more time out for myself?

How do I get a sense of confidence in my ability to meet challenges as they arise and accomplish what I set my mind to?

To start, it's the small seemingly incidental things you need to be aware of, the things that don't have consequences until later. Let’s take a look at some areas of your life and work out where things aren't as good as they could be or what little things you’ve let slide because you’re tired, overwhelmed or stressed. It can be where you give too much or where your needs aren’t being met?

The list below is not everything however it's a good start. Be honest, none of us have everything together even if it seems that way to others.

How to connect with the real you:

Score the following areas in your life from 1-10 10 being "I feel totally happy and satisfied about where I am in this area of my life" and 1 being "Boy have I got some work to do".

Relationships Family Friends Lover Finances Earning Saving Giving Emotions Love Appreciation Resiliency Career Satisfaction Passion Security Health Fit Well Flexible Spiritual life Compassion Gratitude Time out Enjoyment Fun Socialising Relaxing

Take your time to and think about your answers.

Where do you need to regroup? Ask yourself honestly:

• What’s making me exhausted?

• What have I lost sight of that’s important to me?

• Where do I get distracted?

• What do I want more of?

• What do I want less of?

• What stops me from making room for me?

• Is busyness tied in to my self-worth?

There will be some things we need to let go of and some we just need to do differently. Start by finding some alone time for yourself. 20 mins when everyone is watching TV or before the family is up in the morning. Think about your hopes, your intentions and where you might get challenged in the day to come. Awareness is your friend.

Start adding things back into your life.

• Date night with hubby?

• Do something you have always wanted to do.

• Notice when you’re at your best and use the time for you.

• Approach things positively, start shifting patterns you’re not happy with.

• Bring mindful appreciation to your fitness.

• Take time to listen. This is rewarding for everyone.

• Swap TV time for a walk with the family after dinner.

• Give your brain a break, rest, do nothing, sit, or go outside put your feet in the grass and breathe. Scary, I know, but oh so worth it!

• Journal, Journal, Journal. You need to know where you started and how far you have come. Forgive yourself for not being perfect. Start now.

There are great and exciting things you can experience when you are open to learning, new ideas, accepting challenges and have an inspired human spirit.

Start to play with these ideas, reinvigorate the ones you’ve had success with before and remember to be you, on purpose.

All the very best.