Why I let myself get overly busy, with intention ✌

Hi Reader,

November used to be my least favorite month. When I lived in Minnesota, I found the seasonal transition to darkness and loss of greenery and the beauty of fall to be really difficult, and I’m sending tons of compassion if you feel the same way.

I’m really looking forward to this November, though, because it means I’m finally getting a little more space in my schedule!

These past 2 months have been the busiest for me since I moved to California in mid-2019. Like many things, being extra busy is good in some ways, and bad in others.

The bad:

• Not having enough free time for myself
• Not having long enough windows of time between activities to get much work done
• Deferring things that I really want to do
• Feeling tired and overworked
• That obligatory feeling of productivity that’s always lurking when you feel like you're behind

The good:

• Lots of new and re-connections with music colleagues and friends
• Feeling part of my community more than I have since moving here
• Getting to integrate myself in my various roles as creative coach, music educator, collaborative pianist, creator, and performer
• Using the scarcity of time as a tool for discernment of what’s most important
• Having a chance to practice what I preach in non-ideal circumstances (real life!)

“But Rebecca, you always talk about rest and leaving yourself extra free time, why did you let yourself get so busy?”

(This is what I heard you saying in my head, real or not. 😂)

I’m very ready for a few things to disappear from my schedule in November, especially involving extra driving, but I’m not unhappy with my decision to take on extra work this fall.

I did so intentionally, because cool opportunities came up (being a soloist with Berkeley Choro Ensemble with Echo Chamber Orchestra), I wanted to help friends and colleagues, and my anxious brain also thrives on having more financial certainty, especially after these past years.

Even though I do enjoy being an entrepreneur and having things like coaching clients and Coworking Club as a part of my "mosaic of income", a mix of working for myself and working for others feels good for me. (Important information to have about yourself!)

I often warn clients and friends against saying, “I’ll rest after X is done,” because it’s usually a trap!

When that thing is over, something else whooshes into the vacuum space to take its place, unless we’re intentional.

Here’s what I’ve done to stay intentional about including rest throughout this time:

• Lazy Sundays with as little planned activity as possible
• Always leaving time for a quick afternoon lie-down break, even if only 10-15 minutes
• Resisting the urgency of cramming in “one more thing” between activities, after dinner, etc.
• Prioritizing sleep and going to bed earlier

Was it always super successful? No!

But trying usually ensures that some rest will happen, and some is always better than none!

The other thing I’m being intentional about is the transition into having more free time.

I’m planning on leaving some open space for the transition, but also planning to reinstate some structure around what type of work I do on which days of the week.

Filling up the empty space in your schedule right away after the busy period has ended is a totally normal reaction, because there are always more things to do (wanted or not), and also, inertia is powerful.

When you’re accustomed to staying busy, feeling obligated to fill up every moment with productivity, it can be really hard to suddenly give yourself permission to do anything else.

Then, you try having a rest day, and you just feel guilty and lazy, unable to enjoy it much. Perhaps that discomfort leads to right back into filling up your time again, because that’s familiar.

So, if you’re making that switch from very busy to suddenly not so busy, you can remind yourself that it’s going to be a little uncomfortable, that that’s okay, and that you need this time to recharge.

Having extra mental space may even give way to your next creative project idea or the solution to somewhere you were stuck, when you least expect it!

(If that doesn’t happen, also great, because rest is your right, regardless of productivity!)

You always get to stop and ask yourself, “Is this working for me?” 

If the answer is no, consider how full you’d like your time to be in this season, and what you have to say no and yes to in order to make that happen.

Are you in a more or less busy season right now, or transitioning between the two? How is it going for you? I'd love to hear about it!

Stay well, my friends - I'm always rooting for you. My inbox is always open, so please feel free to reach out if I can help in any way. 

I always love hearing from you!

Have a lovely week! ⁠

Rebecca

• No More Grind: How to Finally Rest with Tricia Hersey on We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle - I loooooved this episode, which is no surprise, based on how I feel about Tricia's Instagram The Nap Ministry. A must listen!
• To find the answer, change the question - Mari Andrew's newsletter is always wonderful, and so are her musings on the question "What should I do with my life?"
• Feel-good music alert! Alison Russell's Tiny Desk Concert and latest album have been a wonderful work soundtrack for me today.

• E67: Approaching Creativity Like A Scientist
  

• E66: Megan Ihnen on Cultivating Creative Community

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