Should We All Just Slow Down?
Maybe the magic isn't in the hustle, but in the space we give ourselves to breathe. Plus, 5 ways to slow down in your daily life, and our new vlog.
Each week, after I hit “publish” on an outgoing newsletter, I let out a big sigh of relief. We did it! We sent out another letter and it is no longer ours, it’s yours to digest (or not digest) however you see fit. It’s out into the world and, as a result, we crossed one more thing off our to-do list.
But there’s always another one to be sent the next week. And the week after that. And the one after that.
Same with our weekly vlogs on YouTube. And our brand partnerships. And our regular day to day postings on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc. The Internet never sleeps, which can make it feel we’re not supposed to either unless we want to potentially lose everything we’ve built over the last decade. The algorithm supports those who post more consistently, usually every single day, and if you take a break for even a little bit, you could run the risk of your content not performing as well going forward.
I am being dramatic. I know that, in reality, if we go a few days without posting, it isn’t the end of the world or the end of our social media career. A lot of the pressure is self-inflicted, because we’re always our own worst critics, aren’t we?
It’s the same feeling I get when it’s 6:30p and I haven’t made or thought out dinner yet. I suddenly feel like a failure, and I start to panic internally: How did I let this happen? Why didn’t I stop working beforehand to make time for dinner? If I just had a few more hours in the day, I would be able to accomplish everything I need to.
These are valid feelings, but something tells me I need to go a little easier on myself. Something tells me we all need to give ourselves a little more grace when it comes to our shortcomings or mistakes. Something tells me we should all slow down a little bit, breathe deeper, and take a second to appreciate what we do have instead of focusing on where we fall short.
I love my job and I love my family, and I think the content we put out into the world reflects that, and I know my husband and my kids feel my love, too, even if I don’t have dinner on the table at 6:30 and it’s another night of takeout. Honestly, I need to remind myself that as long as there is food on the table (even if it’s Taco Bell like last Tuesday), then that’s enough.
But that doesn’t mean we need to settle for our shortcomings.
Here’s what I believe: