My Time Is Not A Free For All

Let people underestimate you.

Don’t try to prove yourself to anyone.

It will save you energy. 

Redirect that energy into being consistent in who you are. 

Distractions kill consistency. Lack of focus kills consistency. 

Guilt that you should be doing more kills consistency. 

Honour your contribution to the world by not downplaying it to yourself. 

Be humble. So that when people call you a fool, you are able to see that it is not about you, it is about them and the way in which they can see you. 

It is a blessing and a gift to be able to see and bring out the best in others.

Most people don’t have it. 

So they will only hail you when you have brought out the best in yourself. 

You can only do this by consistently showing up. 

Be patient. It is a journey. And a gradual marathon that you will surely finish if you just keep going. 

Dear friends, 

I opened my folder to come and write the post for this week. I forgot that I had already written something. It was a letter to myself, which I inevitably end up sharing with you all. I am glad I wrote it, it contains reminders that I need moving into the new month. 

Last week I wrote about how I had been feeling overwhelmed. This week, I am less so, but still feeling, to some extent, out of control. I had to keep repeating to myself this morning, “my time is not a free for all.” I just realised that I can’t be available to everything and everyone at all times, because I will end up being useless to myself, and those around me.

I’d like to connect this strain of thought to the piece above, specifically that part that says: “distractions kill consistency”

I need space to be. 

I need a blocks of interrupted time to productively waste. 

I need to extract myself from the maddening rat race that looks like progress and productivity but is slavery to the dreams of a few. 

I am building my beautiful house, as I said last week. But if each time I need to lay a brick, I end up being on ten calls, responding to fifty messages and such, that single brick that I know I can lay for the day, never gets laid. 

It is as though I am learning to take the pressure off myself, and have freed the space for creative thinking and value creation, but then I have opened up my construction site for all, before my house is complete. No matter how well-meaning or nice they are, they will distract me or demand my attention, and each time I give it to them, I expend more time and energy trying to get back into my zone. 

My time is not a free for all.

I have decided to guard it jealously, and be very intentional about the things and people to whom I choose to give it. 

Do you find that you might need to do this too?

Have a great weekend

Love,

OFP