Taking on too much: The bane of Self Improvement
I have always been a multi-tasker, and someone who would say yes to just about anything. I am a hard worker, and that can be a really good thing! But often times I have found myself taking on too many projects, and then running myself ragged trying to get everything done for everyone else.
Does this sound familiar?
This happens when we cram our schedules, and don’t give ourselves a chance to breathe or work on ourselves.
It is very possible to lose ourselves in the management of doing things for others. Having a servants heart and wanting to do what you can for others is also a good thing, and its important that people know they can rely on you.
The problem is when you don’t realize that are doing too much.
Working on our own personal development and self improvement can be key to organizing our lives, and simplifying how we live.
(P.S. If you want to be taken straight to the 7 tips, you can scroll to the bottom! Otherwise, keep reading.)
(This page probably contains affiliate links, if you want to read more about that check out our disclaimer page)
Why your own Self Improvement is key to a simpler life
Story time!
It wasn’t till a year or so ago that I started to realize that I was constantly taking on too much. I was doing Karate, trying to keep up with my artwork, working 35-45 hours a week (I had 2 jobs for a while last year.), working on my blog, writing my eBook, making candles and taking on art commissions.
I thought that if I just paced myself, I could keep up with all of it.
Well turns out, it is impossible to do all of those things at once and not have a few emotional breakdowns.
Towards the end of the year, I had started writing “30 Days to Inner Peace”. This was a project that I needed myself, as much as I did want it to help others as well. I realized how worn I was, and how strung out I felt all the time. That led to me feeling like I didn’t have direction, like I was failing at everything, and that I had no control in my life.
I needed something for me.
30 Days to Inner Peace is born.
So, I came up with the idea of a 30 day self-care challenge.
I worked on the chapters everyday at work when I was on break, and then in my free time at home. Each page is designed to make the reader dive into a new aspect of self discovery, and recognize things they can change to help themselves mentally and physically.
Going through the book myself, I felt a drastic improvement in my mood, thought life, and peace of mind. Working on my own self improvement helped me notice the things in life that I needed to change, and cut things from my life that I no longer had need of.
You can view my eBook 30 Days to Inner Peace here, and if you need the same peace of mind and change in your life, purchase a digital copy today.
7 Self Improvement tips for a simpler life
How can learning self improvement skills really change your life, AND help you to simplify your life? Creating good habits and really knowing yourself and how you handle things is a good step in the right direction. Here are 7 Self Improvement tips you can try right now, and start your path to a simpler life.
1. Realize that you are in charge of your own happiness
Our happiness belongs to us.
Putting our happiness in someone else’s hands is one of the biggest downfalls we can have when it comes to personal development. We can never be truly happy till we find that happiness withing ourselves.
Being happy is a decision.
We can choose to look on the brighter side of any situation, choose to be happy when we are alone, and finding happiness in who we are as individuals is very important. Knowing your worth is the first step to simplifying your life.
2. Clean and De-clutter your home and work environments
I don’t know about you, but I can’t function unless my house is clean.
If I am cooking, the counters and stove have to be clean before and after. If I am writing, the area that I am writing in has to be neat and tidy.
Keeping a clean home and work environment gives you mental gratification, and can help you feel happier and more satisfied.
Having less stuff to organize and clean is a great way to start simplifying your life.
Does this mean you have to go full Marie Kondo and become a super minimalist? Not necessarily. But implementing even a small amount of minimalism in your life can be a great start.
3. Schedule time for yourself
Just like you put important things you have to do on the calendar, you need to put “you time” on the calendar as well. This makes it more final, like something that you cant skip.
This also lets anyone that you live with, whether it be your spouse, siblings, parents or room mate, know that you are taking time for you.
Also, if you use a planner it can be a good way to block out time for yourself. Just make sure this time is down time, something relaxing that you can look forward to.
Doing this will off-set the busy, and give you some much needed space to breathe.
4. Have a self care plan/routine that you can stick to
Everyone seems to be talking about self care, and yes, there is a reason for that.
Taking care of YOU is important, especially if you are also taking care of others. We need a moment to ourselves during the day to just relax, recenter, and see what WE need.
Schedule a quite time for yourself at some point throughout your day. Make it a point to “check in” with yourself, and do a self evaluation.
How do you feel?
What do you need to recharge?
Is there something that you need to talk about?
Self Care is a necessity, not a luxury.
Related Content: 7 Self Care books you need to read this year.
5. Manage your finances
Managing your finances is something that you need in your self improvement plan. Having this one thing under control can take SO much stress and pressure off of you, and that is the goal.
A lot of our stress now days comes from one thing. Uncertainty.
Not knowing if you will have enough money is one of the worst feelings.
There are also a lot of us that struggle with keeping track of our finances, and that can cause a lot of stress and anxiety when things go wrong.
Start tracking your finances, and make sure to write down everything you pay for on a monthly basis. This will keep you from getting surprise attacks from forgotten subscriptions and other things. Another good thing to do is start cutting anything unnecessary until you get back on top of it financially.
6. Stop saying “YES” to everything
I cannot even begin to tell you how long and how often I struggled with this one.
My oldest-child, longing to make people happy and be reliable-ness often got in the way of me saying “no.”, and that was a pretty detrimental thing at times.
Taking on more than you can handle will eventually drive you to tears.
Know your limits, know when to say “No.”
Its better to tell someone, “Sorry, I can’t this time. I have too much going on.” than to have to back out last minute because you bit off more than you could chew. If the person asking you for help or a favor is truly a good friend or co-worker, they will understand not being able to help.
7. Stop indulging in negative self talk
We all fall into the trap of negative self talk sometimes.
This stems from not feeling sufficient in some way, either in your abilities or in yourself.
Negative self talk is a horrible habit to have, and can keep you from feeling happy and at your best. The things we tell ourselves can either be lies that bring us down and make us feel inferior, or the TRUTH, which is that we are capable, beautiful and full of possibilities.
Related content: How to use Healthy Self Talk to change your life
How we talk to ourselves is probably the most important thing we can do for our self improvement and mental health.
Start telling yourself good things, and change around any self-deprecating thought you may have.
Instead of thinking, “I wish I was better at talking.” think to yourself, “I am proud of what a good listener I am. People appreciate my ability to listen well.”
Any negative thought can be turned around, and turned into a confident, encouraging one.
