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| Don
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Cutting Yourself Some Slack vs. Slacking Off |
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The time to do what is really important in life is too often already taken up by what we have settled for. |
Today's society puts such a premium on being busy that it is often difficult or impossible to really relax without feeling guilt. Part of carving out some free time revolves around setting boundaries and not committing to do too much. Once we recognize that our schedule doesn't have to be completely full every waking moment of every day, we can giving ourselves permission to relax or to be more spontaneous. The act of giving ourselves permission to do (or not do) something is challenging. We're fearful of becoming (or being branded) a slacker. If I were to venture a guess, I'd estimate that about 3 in 4 American adults push themselves harder than necessary to meet the expectations of others or themselves. Working ourselves into exhaustion really isn't a very strategic utilization of our energy. I often force myself to think of Thomas Edison when I start to feel guilty about not getting enough accomplished. Edison's frequent naps are well documented and few among us would label him an underachiever or a slacker. Instead, Edison made the most of his time. Even so, not all of his experiments were successful, but rather helped him to get closer to where he wanted to go—sometimes by success, but more often by learning from his mistakes. As long as our efforts are directed toward our ultimate goals, we shouldn't fret about all the details. Is today's To-Do List impossibly long, totally unreasonable and unachievable? What is really essential? What is really important? You are hereby granted 30 minutes of absolutely uncommitted free time today. You can use it however you choose. The only requirement is that is used to do something you enjoy. You can use that 30 minutes to take a nap, read an inspiring or entertaining book, listen to music, spend some intimate time with a loved one, go for a walk, or just allow your mind to be quiet. Far from being a wasted half-hour, you may find that this time is the most fulfilling and productive of your entire day. Cut yourself some slack. You deserve it. And you'll thank yourself for it.
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