Over scheduled is bad enough.  Add on top of it most of us don’t even realize we are and feel we can do even more.  Well, you could do more, but it doesn’t end well.  The good news is your body and mind are giving you signals when enough is enough.  The bad news is you may be blowing them off.  Again, it doesn’t end well if you do.

I woke up in the middle of the night recently with the mother of all headaches.  The plus was I was having a nightmare and was glad to be awake.  Okay, right there we have two indicators.  Indicators that have been repeated multiple times, and I blew them off.  Yet I had the audacity to wonder why I’m feeling overwhelmed and stressed.  Seriously?  The reality is I know why.  The further reality is I made a continuous choice to ignore it.

I work full-time, about 50+ hours four days a week for my employer, also run my own business and am starting a third business.  Oh yes, I’m also moving in about ten days.  If you asked me yesterday ‘how is that working out?’ I would have told you it was all good.  It is priceless how delusional we can all be trying to be all things to all people.

The kicker for me isn’t the actual ‘work’ that I’m doing.  I love it all.  The kicker is the unknowns and the million thoughts that are combined with it all.  The healthy habits that get shoved into the corner so the unhealthy over achieving madness can take over.  I think it is the grown up version of showing off.  Being an ‘overachiever’ isn’t special, it is stupid.  Our egos trick us into thinking somehow we will be admired and a pinnacle.  Here is a little tip from me to you my friend, you will not be a pinnacle, because it all comes at a cost.  In addition you will sacrifice what is more important…relationships, health, etc.

I love this quote from Lao Tzu, “Stop thinking, and end your problems.”  I’m going to embrace it and instead of trying to be all things to all people today, I’ll be chucking work and going for a run instead.

If you want to be happy, be balanced.  If you aren’t comfortable with serving yourself in such a manner reframe it to this, if you want those you love and those who have to be around you to be happy, be balanced.