Are you living the LIST rather than living the LIFE?

 

Are you finding that you are a slave to the to-do list, the deadlines, the obligations, the project, or the needs of your friends and family?  If so, you are not alone…

For so many women, how much we get done in the day becomes the personal measure of our success and worthiness. To make matters worse, our to-do lists keep growing and growing and we have to move faster and faster to keep checking off the boxes.  Slowly but surely we lose our connection to what deeply nourishes us and, when we do that, we lose our spark and our love of everyday life.

When you are, what we two Health Coaches refer to as “Living the List”, you are in a continual state of stress that may cause you to burn out, get stressed out, start dragging, look sallow, get cranky, and eat everything that you know you shouldn’t. If you’ve you ever said “Hey! What the heck happened to me, I’m wiped out and running on empty! Where did I disappear to?” – you probably are Living the List too.

“Living the Life”, on the other hand, is when the things that we do in our day-to-day activities make us feel more vibrant, more alive, more connected to ourself and others, and glad to be alive.  But how does one start Living the Life vs. Living the List?

By being INTERRUPTED.

You need to be interrupted more often – no, not while you’re speaking or trying to express your thoughts and ideas – that already happens way too much to women. You need to be interrupted when you’re in the push, the grind, and in the rush of your life.

Interruptions come in all shapes and sizes. A moment of meditation, putting on some music and having a private jam session, taking a nap. Life interrupters can also be unwanted as seen with migraines, the flu, or an injury. Sometimes life makes us to stop and catch our breath when we don’t take time to do it ourselves.

But one of the most powerful self-imposed life interruptions is a personal retreat. A personal retreat is a chance to stop the action of your life for the sole purpose of reconnection, reconnection to your own inner spark that needs to be tended to in order to shine bright. It is a chance to think about your needs versus the needs of everyone else. It is an opportunity to think beyond your day to day laundry list, and into what’s truly important to you in life. It is also an opportunity to rebalance your body with healthy food and step into appreciation of your amazing body. We all need an occasional escape that allows us to hit the reset button, nourish our mind, bodies and souls, and most importantly take a break from Living the List.

Now, here’s the tricky bit, If you’re someone who is Living the List you are more than likely nodding your head and saying yes, of course, interrupting my life for a personal retreat makes so much sense – but …

• “I don’t have time!”
• “I’ve got so much to-do!”
• “If I take a day or two off I’ll fall behind!”
• “No one can do all the things that I do!”

HA! Isn’t that the conundrum of Living the List – it undermines our desire to live our lives fully and in a relaxed way.  So, here are 3 things to say to that part of you who is attached to Living the List.

 

• The list will be here when I get back.

Yes, your list will still be there, it may in fact be longer, but here’s what will have changed – YOU. When you’ve given yourself a real personal self-care retreat, the way you approach your list is different. You’ll be calmer, more centered, more focused, and more creative in your thinking. You’ll fly through your to-do list and you’ll be clearer about what’s truly important.

2.    Someone else can do some of what I do.

It’s true that you are unique, there’s no doubt there are some things in your life that only you can do, but there are most certainly things you can delegate to someone else for a day or two. You’re allowed to escape for a bit.

3.     I deserve to be nourished, guided and supported.

It’s easy to tell yourself that tomorrow you’ll take yourself for a manicure or a walk in the woods, but what about giving yourself the gift of being guided by experienced facilitators, whose job it is to make sure you’re deeply taken care of. You deserve it.

It’s often hard for women to step away from the list, but honestly, once you do – everything is better because you start living the life you truly want.

 

This is a special collaborative article that Lisa Lewtan and I wrote together. 

 

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Nina Manolson, MA, CHC, certified Health Coach and Psychology of Eating Coach believes that every women deserves to feel good in their own body. She helps women create a healthy and positive relationship with their food and body so they can love their body and life!  She’s the founder of NinaManolson.com and NourishedWomanNation.com 

She helps busy women look and feel their best, and helps them feed their kids well in a world that doesn’t.

She’s the author of “Feed Your Kids Well In A World That Doesn’t: an everyday guide to make healthy food happen in your home and beyond”. She’s also the recipient of the prestigious Health Leadership Award from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

To get your F.R.E.E. Video Series “What to do now, when everything you’ve done hasn’t worked” by mail and receive her healthy recipes and wellness tips click here.