G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT)
Y’all… I walked into last week with the best of intentions.
I had just written about balance — finding it, choosing it, protecting it — and I really believed I was stepping into a week that would feel a little more grounded, a little more steady.
And then… life did what life does. And instead of balance, I got a front-row seat to my own patterns playing out in real time. Here’s what I noticed.
I’ve been leaning into my FlyLady app and my home planner — and I love them. I really do. There is something about having a system, a place to put all the things swirling around in my head, that just works for me.
But somewhere along the way… I shifted. I went from living my day… to managing it. I was checking boxes. Just checking boxes.
And in the process, I wasn’t as open. I wasn’t as present. I found myself missing the little things — the conversations, the pauses, the moments that didn’t come with a checkbox but had the potential to be something really meaningful.
And I actually said it out loud this week — that in trying so hard to stay on track and get everything done, I end my days completely worn out. No margin. No quiet. No time for me.
And honestly? I don’t think that’s just me. I think that’s a lot of us.
I don’t know if it’s my neurodivergent brain or if it’s just human nature, but I do know this — when I find something new that I’m excited about, something that feels productive or promising, I can let it take over. I go all in.
Case in point… Mahjong.
Y’all, I wish I could tell you I’m casually enjoying it, but no — I am fully committed. Watching videos, thinking about it, planning around it, talking about it… if there is a way to go all in, I will find it.
And honestly, I had to laugh at myself this week, because it made me realize… oh, this is what I do. I don’t just enjoy things — I absorb them.
And if I’m really honest, I think part of that comes from knowing that consistency hasn’t always come easy for me. So I overcompensate. I go full throttle because I’m afraid that if I don’t, it will all fall apart. That I’ll lose momentum. That nothing will stick.
But what I’m starting to see is… that full throttle might actually be the problem. I’m burning myself out trying to be consistent… instead of allowing myself to find a rhythm that’s sustainable.
Maybe I don’t have to be so extreme. Maybe it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Maybe there really is a sweet spot somewhere in the middle. And maybe — just maybe — slowing down, shifting gears, and giving myself a little breathing room is actually the key to staying consistent long-term.
That’s where I’m leaning right now.
And alongside that, I’ve felt a really strong pull this week toward something else…More time in prayer. More time in silence. Not as another thing to check off the list — but as the thing that keeps everything else in perspective.
Because when I get too focused, I get myopic. And when I get myopic… I miss things. The beautiful things happening in the periphery. The unexpected moments. The quiet reminders of what really matters.
So this week, my focus is simple. Not necessarily doing less… just seeing more. Widening the lens. Letting go of the white-knuckle grip. Trusting that I don’t have to run myself into the ground to make progress. Because balance, I’m learning, isn’t something you arrive at and finally get to check off. It’s something you choose. Over and over again.
It’s choosing, every day, to stay open… to stay present… and to not miss the view while you’re so focused on the road.
So here’s to this week — to enjoying the ride, taking in the view, and finding that sweet spot somewhere in the middle(unless it’s Mahjong — then I make no promises).
Leave a Reply