“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” - Arthur Ashe
I took yesterday off, like off, off. It was nice. We walked all around, made dinner and read a book for pleasure. Then I started to feel guilty. I remembered I hadn't replied to that email, checked off things on the to do list, and you know all those other things piling up in my head. But you know what?! I hadn't taken a full day off, in a long, long time. Sometimes, it’s hard when you work for yourself, there’s always something to do and no one else to do it. But I went with it.
This made me think about when we are out of routine or get "off track.” Sometimes that all-of-nothing mentality tends to this "screw-it-hands-in-the-air-F-it” attitude. And this can be lead to some unwanted side effects.
What if instead we use the quote from above as this inspiration to take a moment and listen to what it is you are needing? Is it time for a rest, a break, or is it time to do one more thing or work to be 1% better.
James Clear, the author of the book Atomic Habits, says "the 1 Percent Rule states that over time the majority of the rewards in a given field will accumulate to the people, teams, and organizations that maintain a 1 percent advantage over the alternatives. You don't need to be twice as good to get twice the results. You just need to be slightly better." The 1% or tiny changes build on one another and grow not linear like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, but exponentially like 1+2+4+8!
We often get so caught up in doing all the things all the time. But this doesn't have to be the case and it will eventually lead to burnout. So instead of giving up, give it a rest or try one more. Trust yourself that you know best, and it will all happen in time.
What goals have you set recently? What progress have you made? Do you need a rest? Or maybe an alternative plan to get you to the same or slightly different destination?
When things aren't perfect, do you throw your hands up in the air and walk away? Or do you take it as an opportunity to give yourself permission to have it look slightly different than you thought and keep going?
When we dont see things changing or moving quickly enough for us, remember this 1% rule - How can you aim to be 1% better today?