Productive. Organised. Just two of the things that I am known for being. In fact, even as a child I was known for being organised.
As I got older, I was the person who planned the get togethers, who made sure people stayed in contact with each other, I made a lot of effort to keep in contact with people, constantly checking in with them to see if they were okay?
I liked to be productive both at work and home and looked at ways to use my time wisely, squeezing the most out of every minute of every day.
It was exhausting.
Having enforced time off recently, time where I didn’t actually have the energy to do anything, made me realise how I struggled to not be productive. Here I was sat at home (particularly when I was starting to recover) wondering how I could use the time wisely so that it wasn’t “wasted time!”
It wasn’t wasted time; it was time I needed to get better after being very poorly!
What labels have you given yourself?
Chaotic, untidy, busy, not sporty, feisty, sensitive……there is an endless list many of which I discuss regularly with my clients. The thing is, these “labels” these identities we create for ourselves might have been relevant when we were younger, some might still have an element of truth, some are totally relevant and you wear them with pride BUT there are 2 questions you need to ask yourself.
- Is this still true, does this relate to the person I am now?
- Is this a label others have given me and I don’t feel it’s true?
Maybe you weren’t “sporty” when you were younger but now you exercise regularly, you are fit(ish) and healthy and that is right for you right now.
Perhaps friends laughed at you being “chaotic” but actually you have your own unorthodox way of managing your life which might not suit everyone but suits you?
Exercise.
Jot down on a piece of paper the following questions and really think about the answers.
What labels have you given yourself or been given by others?
Which of these would you like to lose?
Which of these feel fitting and you’re happy to own them?
The ones you wish to lose, decide from today that they are no longer relevant. Re-write the narrative.
So for me, yes, I can be productive, yes I can be very organised but I also choose to have down time where I let myself off the hook and rest. I don’t have to be responsible for organising everyone else, all the time!
With regards to other people’s perceptions – it’s just their opinions so they can choose to think what they want, doesn’t mean they are right!
