You might be thinking...
With all this talk about self-love, self-care, resting, and taking Selah moments...
How does anything ever get done?
I get it.
Life doesn't stop because we've decided to take better care of ourselves.
There are still bills to pay.
There is still laundry to do.
There are still children to take care of.
There are still jobs, dreams, goals, appointments, relationships, businesses, homes, and a million other things that need our attention.
Self-care doesn't mean ignoring those things.
And self-love doesn't mean spending every day wrapped in a blanket doing absolutely nothing.
Although, every now and then, that sounds pretty good!
What I'm learning is that I don't have to do everything at once.
Piece by Piece
Sometimes I look at everything I want to accomplish and immediately feel overwhelmed.
The project seems too big.
The list seems too long.
And before I've even started, I'm already exhausted just thinking about everything that needs to be done.
I'm learning to stop looking at the entire mountain.
Instead, I ask myself:
What's one thing I can do today?
One phone call.
One email.
One load of laundry.
One page.
One appointment.
One decision.
One small piece of a much bigger project.
Then I work on the next piece.
And the next.
Before I know it, those little pieces start becoming something.
That's progress.
It may not happen as quickly as I want it to.
It may not look impressive while I'm in the middle of it.
But I'm moving forward.
And I'm learning that moving forward doesn't require me to run.
Sometimes walking is enough.
And Then...Selah
This is where my Selah moments come in.
Remember, Selah is the pause.
I work.
Then I pause.
I accomplish something.
Then I breathe.
I pour out.
Then I give myself an opportunity to refill.
And when I've had a chance to rest and recharge, I can come back with more energy to tackle the next piece.
I'm beginning to understand that rest and productivity aren't enemies.
I don't have to choose between taking care of myself and accomplishing the things that matter to me.
I can do both.
Work a little. Pause a little. Keep going.
That rhythm feels very different from the way I used to approach life.
There were times when I believed I had to keep pushing until everything was finished.
But when is everything ever finished?
There's always going to be something else.
Another responsibility.
Another idea.
Another goal.
Another project.
Another load of laundry!
If I wait until everything is done before I give myself permission to rest, I may never rest.
So now I'm learning to build the pause into the process.
Small Doesn't Mean Insignificant
I think sometimes we underestimate the power of small steps.
We want the big transformation.
The finished project.
The successful business.
The clean house.
The degree.
The healthier life.
The healed version of ourselves.
But we forget about all the tiny decisions that happen before we get there.
I've learned firsthand that some of the biggest changes in my life started with one small decision.
Make the appointment.
Ask for help.
Get some rest.
Try again tomorrow.
Choose myself.
None of those things seemed enormous in the moment.
But one decision led to another.
And another.
And another.
That's how I'm learning to approach the things I'm building now, too.
Piece by piece.
You Don't Have to Finish Today
Maybe there's something you've been putting off because it feels too big.
Instead of asking yourself:
“How am I ever going to get all of this done?”
Try asking:
“What's one piece I can do today?”
Do that piece.
Then give yourself permission to pause.
Have your coffee.
Take a walk.
Sit quietly.
Pray.
Put on your comfy clothes.
Take a nap if you need one.
Have your Selah.
And when you're recharged, come back and take the next step.
Self-care isn't about avoiding life.
It's about taking care of yourself while you're living it.
Self-love doesn't mean standing still.
It means learning how to move forward without constantly running yourself into the ground.
So I'm going to keep working toward the things I want.
I'm going to keep dreaming.
I'm going to keep building.
I'm going to keep showing up.
But I'm also going to keep pausing.
Because I'm finally learning that I don't have to exhaust myself to prove that I'm making progress.
Piece by piece.
Pause by pause.
Day by day.
I'll get there.
And so will you.
Take the next step. Then take your Selah. ❤️
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