Are you living life your way? Do you get caught up with reading advice from all sides of the spectrum on what we should and shouldn’t be doing to achieve happiness?
It’s your life to live your way is the topic of this week’s Micro Mondays on the Women Living Well After 50 podcast. If you’ve missed previous episodes you can listen HERE
Sometimes we can allow others to influence the way we live our life. Blogs, social media and other articles bombard us with information on the best way to live our lives. I know I even write about it with my two cents worth.
We are told:
- Go for it, plan, dream big, set your goals
- The other side are telling us to pull back, live a quiet life and don’t go for anything
- Then there is the middle which I like to think includes me. I like to think I present a balanced view. I am all for achieving goals and going for life but I’m also aware of the times I need to pull back, rest, restore and just ‘be’.
Life can be overwhelming at times, can’t it? I know! it happens to me and sometimes it happens because of who I am.
The key is becoming self-aware, determining what works for you and having the courage to live your life. As Fleetwood Mack sings: ‘You can go your own way”
I’m not someone to just sit and let life pass by so sometimes, without me realising it, I can go into overload mode.
But you know what? I’ve learned that this is who I am and I’m comfortable with that.
I don’t want to have a ‘quiet’ life, that many others crave.
That works for them which is great, but it doesn’t work for me. I love my ‘quiet times’ where I am a human ‘being’ rather than a ‘human doing’ I enjoy reading and getting lost in a book, relaxing in the sun or by the ocean where I live, going for a run or walk in nature – but not all the time.
I don’t want to stop striving for dreams and goals because they may be challenging to achieve, or because I’m worried about what others might say or because I fear I will fail.
There are positives and negatives to this mindset (as with every mindset) but accepting who you are, making changes to what you don’t like, letting go of what is sapping you of energy and living life on your terms is something we all owe ourselves.
Living an authentic life, without comparison or keeping up with others may not always be easy but there comes a time when you need to start living your life for YOU – we only get one shot!
Note to self: one thought, one task, one day at a time
I saw this reminder on Facebook in the Sketches in Stillness Group.
When things feel overwhelming remember:
- One thought at a time
- One task at a time
- One day at a time
Strategies I use to conquer Overwhelm
Microsteps
To bring focus and calm to my mind, the concept of microsteps is another tool I use to achieve my goals. Baby steps with each step bringing you closer to your goal or making your dream a reality. Taking time to breathe, walk outside or just light a candle and meditate to return to calm.
Core Values
Another strategy is to bring myself back to my core values. Your core values are what encompass your foundational beliefs, which then dictate your behavior and guide you to make the decisions that you do. Is what I’m doing aligned with my values and the way I want to live my life?
Reflecting on my Word of the Year
My WOTY, is SELF. Whenever I feel overwhelmed I ask myself ‘How does this align with my WOTY? How is it affecting my SELF?
Where am I placing my energy?
Do you take the time to be more self-aware? Do you know yourself and accept who you are or do you want to make changes? Let’s start a conversation…..
What strategies do you use to overcome feelings of anxiety, stress or overwhelm? I share some of mine and those of others from the WLWA50 Facebook Community in the podcast.
Listen to the Full Podcast Episode
Watch on Video
If you would like to start your self-discovery but not sure how, contact me to arrange a free 15 minute chat and how I can help you start Living Well.
Email me at : sue@womenlivingwellafter50.com.au Subject: Self-discovery
For more inspiration to Live Well and Enjoy Life listen to my weekly Micro Mondays episodes on the Women Living Well After 50 Podcast. Short episodes to help you Refocus & Reset for the Week ahead.
9 Comments
One thought at a time
One task at a time
One day at a time….
Is such great advice. When life gets hard, we can usually do one thing. We need to remind ourselves that we don’t need to do more than we can handle.
Hi Donna, yes I find it is much easier to follow this little mantra, otherwise I can find I am into ‘overdrive’ and then overwhelm starts to set in. xx
Sue, I am balancing a lot of balls right now. Thanks for the advice to focus on one task at a time! Much appreciated.
HI Suzanne, I hope you are okay and not trying to do too much. Take care and give yourself some time for YOU xx
Sue, I look forward to your posts … so inspiring! I live one day at a time sometimes one hour at the time as I live with chronic pain. I read, meditate, do research on various topics, go for short walks and when I am able, I called people who are elderly or living alone. I am no longer able to do a lot of things that I used to do but I strive to find joy in little things.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful life! You are my inspiration and you bring sunshine in my life.
How lovely of you to visit and leave such a beautiful comment, Yvonne. It fills my heart with joy to know that what I present and share helps other women, even in a small way. You are an inspiration to me, as you find the joy in little things which isn’t always easy to do if life isn’t going to plan. Take care and again, thanks for visiting. I hope you visit again. Have a lovely week xx
You are inspiring. You write with honesty, clarity, and self-awareness and by doing so are a role model for your followers. Every day I write under the challenges heading in my journal the word “overdrive” and then the admonition to myself “Be Aware”. It does help me to balance my tendency to expect too much of my energy stores with rest and meditation later in the day.I
Thank you Judith for your kind words. If I can help one woman improve her life in some way then I feel such joy. I do like your idea of ‘overdrive’ and ‘be aware’. I believe we all need these little daily reminders to keep us on track, so thank you for sharing your strategy. Have a beautiful day. x
Where am I placing my energy? Great question. I have a planner that asks me to prioritize my to-dos each day. When it comes down to it, there are very few days where I have a lot of non-negotiables. Which makes it easy to procrastinate. But making a list helps me think of everything I want to accomplish, think about, tackle. I am finding blogging to be terrifically time-consuming and I am not sure it is the best use of my time. Struggle so with visiting all the blogs I follow and leaving thoughtful comments in a timely manner.