YOU DO YOU

"You do you!" is advice I regularly dish out to my friends and peers but sometimes forget to give to myself. It's a simple yet profound mantra, encouraging us to prioritise our own well-being, comfort, and realistic capabilities, all while sprinkling in a good pinch of compassion.

As I maneuver the journey of building my business, there are countless moving parts, ideas zipping around, endless lists, self-imposed deadlines, ambitions—THE LOT. 

Alongside this, I work part time so I’m juggling two jobs: a part-time gig to pay the bills and my own coaching venture, where I hone and polish my skills, setting myself up for the day I can take the plunge full-time (which is scarily soon).

I've noticed a pattern: I self-impose a multitude of “musts” and feel guilty when I fail to meet my own expectations. Take social media, for example. My goal was to churn out engaging, fun, valuable, and profound content every week, not only to boost exposure and engagement, but also for the potential to land new clients. The churning worked for a few weeks, and then it didn’t. My ideas are plentiful, but my time isn't. My ideal schedule hasn't materialised - yet.

Is guilt helpful? Well, that depends. Does the guilt give me the means to change? Not really. Can I magically find extra hours, motivation, and energy? Definitely not. So, in true "you do you" fashion, if I were to advise myself as I would a friend, I'd say: Look at the facts. What can you realistically change or adapt to achieve your goals? Does “regular” content have to mean weekly? Could it be monthly instead? What's achievable for you RIGHT NOW? What would 100%, 50%, 10% look like?

The takeaway is simple yet not easy: focus on what you can do, focus on the absolute musts. Start there, and let the rest unfold.

It’s time for a new plan! Let’s get to it.

Your turn now. I invite you to reflect on where you might be setting yourself unrealistic expectations and feeling guilty for not meeting them. Take a moment to breathe, reassess, and ask yourself: What can I realistically do right now? And remember, it’s okay to adapt your plans to fit your current reality and you do not have to feel guilty about that either - maybe it can be replaced with feeling proud that YOU ARE DOING YOU!