My weekly emails are for you if you want a transformational SHOT OF POSITIVITY that makes you think, gets you laughing, and sparks a positive change. Start each week inspired.
Ride the lazy river
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Reader, I've been stricken with vacay brain. My eyes pop open. Dawn is breaking. I grab my phone to see 6:00 a.m. on the dot.
I pause to take stock following my 36-hour round trip to St. Louis by car.
Do I need more sleep? Am I ready to start my day?
I feel good, and walking with my dogs at the park sounds invigorating.
My feet hit the floor and I start my day thinking about all the productive work I am going to accomplish.
I walk the dogs, grab a light bite, make my morning posts on social media, and head to pickleball.
Then my energy wanes.
Suddenly, my brain is mush. I can't concentrate. WTH!?!
I turn on the TV. I'll just take a short break.
Thirty minutes later, I feel unmotivated.
I decide to switch to domestic goddess mode and begin cleaning the floors.
I tell myself it is fine. All the prep work for the weekend party is hanging over me; completing some of it is a good use of time.
And I am right. It feels good to complete the cleaning.
Yet, when I finish, I am no more prepared to complete intellectual tasks than before I started.
Miranda, my inner critic, starts chastising me for not being productive after losing a day of work driving.
I start to buy into her angst, and then I decide to stop.
I change the story I'm telling myself to this: Just because I didn't plan a vacation day today doesn't mean that I don't need it or deserve it.
I think of my conversation with Bonnie Low-Kramen on the podcast and her revelation that the task list never gets smaller, no matter how long or hard you work. I know her wisdom is sound.
I have ideas I want to pursue, yet I feel mentally blocked from getting started. Maybe I should get more curious about that today. Perhaps it is the most important work I can do.
And then I give myself permission to rest, reflect, prepare for my party, and leave work for another day.
In the parlance of my daughters, I take a mental health day.
Reader, do you ever want the equivalent of a mental lazy river day in which you float along, relaxing in the sun and cool water without any cares? The reality is that if I had days and weeks without anything to do as a business owner, I would be in big trouble. I am responsible for business development, sales, consulting, project management, and account management. There will always be a need to work and multiple things demanding my attention. I also firmly believe in listening to my body, especially when it needs rest and recovery. When I worked in corporate, Miranda was always telling me that I had to prove my worth by always exceeding expectations, and I listened to her. With the wisdom of experience, however, I realize that I also missed out by being so task-driven. Reader, here is my gift to you this week as the US heads into our Independence Day celebration: permission to rest. Listen to your body and pause from the busy, whether it is five minutes, five hours, or five days. As Bonnie Low-Kramen shared in 'the story i'm telling myself' podcast, the to-do list never grows smaller. Every day will greet you with a new set of expectations and demands. So grab your mental raft and float down the lazy river this week. You deserve it. My 5-point System applies the latest insights from neuroscience and psychology to deliver: LONG-TERM RETENTION: Retain the best people without the added cost of perks. COST SAVINGS: Retain institutional knowledge and reduce the expense of talent replacement. PERFORMANCE: Full discretionary effort from employees and resilience in the face of any challenge.
Catch Up on 'the story i'm telling myself' podcastGive us a 5-star review and share an episode with a friend: Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music Episode 1 with Karen Laos: Are You Enough? Finding your inner powerEpisode 2 with Gail Kraft: Is Your Fear of Abandonment Running the Show?Episode 3 with Sandra Adeyeye Bello: Am I Worth It? A question too many are afraid to answerEpisode 4 with Leslie Minchin: Are You Busy or Just Avoiding Your Life?Episode 5 with Srivatsan Aravamudan: Broken, Dirty, Not Enough? The journey to self-acceptanceEpisode 6 with Vivian Blade: How Do I Say "I Lost My Job?"Episode 7 with Angie Redmon: Who Am I Letting Down? The hidden costEpisode 8 with Debbie Potts: I Refuse to Settle: Rewriting my story after a life-changing diagnosisEpisode 9 with Tandra Price: Can I Do That? Unleashing your inner powerEpisode 10 with Ronda Berns: Am I the Prey? Overcoming fear and mastering salesEpisode 11 with Carmen Alvarez: Can Joy and Grief Really Co-exist?Episode 12 with Melissa Robinson Hussain: Who Do You Want to Be? Coaching Yourself to Radical TransformationEpisode 13 with Tiersa Hall: Is This Risk Too Big—Or Just the One You Need to Take?The Story I’m Telling Myself is for anyone who wants to overcome the limitations of self-doubt and live a life of purpose and fulfillment. Through candid conversations, you'll discover:
Real-life stories of courage and resilience: Gain inspiration from everyday people who overcame their negative self-talk to live a life of purpose and fulfillment. Listen to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music. |
Rita Ernst, Positivity Influencer
My weekly emails are for you if you want a transformational SHOT OF POSITIVITY that makes you think, gets you laughing, and sparks a positive change. Start each week inspired.
Reader, this gets a little personal. Over the winter, I started playing pickleball. I love it! I'm having so much fun. Summer is now officially here with a daily heat index topping 100 this past week. In past years, I have avoided being outside in such dreadful heat. This year, I'm taking two or more showers a day to cool off and wash away the sweat. Yes, I'm a prolific sweater. One of those people who always looks like they just ran a marathon after any exertion in the sun. I could choose to...
Reader, last week I got to do what I love twice! I delivered talks at two conferences — one in Texas and one in Louisville. I know that interactive learning is the best, so my presentations include some type of "pair and share" element whenever possible. In Texas, I invited the participants to reflect on their happiest and least happy job experiences, then share the stories with their partners. Here was the punchline from the debrief: Was the experience you shared about compensation, tasks,...
Reader, I bet you can relate to Paula's story. Paula is a highly educated professional. She works in an organization filled with experts who frequently lack emotional intelligence and leadership skills. She's feeling frustrated because the managers above her only recognize her leadership by giving her more tasks. In her recent annual review, she received only the typical increase, despite the volume of extra work she had taken on. Her dissatisfaction is stealing her joy, and she's wondering...