Have you ever had a long day at work and as soon as you stepped foot inside of the house you threw something quick on the stove for dinner, plopped down on the sofa, picked up the remote control to watch your favorite evening television show while scrolling social media on your handheld device, and then before you knew it 30 minutes had passed and you’re thinking to yourself that you wished every day wasn’t so awfully overwhelming?

What if we just want to take a BREAK from the routine hamster wheel?

These days we’re bombarded with messages that tell us that the popular thing to do is to HUSTLE……. even while we’re sleeping (haha)!

Everyone seems to be running to and fro without pausing to ask themselves if things can be done more efficiently or if some of what we’re doing is even necessary at all!

On the other hand, sometimes we are NOT in hustle mode and we still don’t even bother asking ourselves if what we’re doing is contributing to our greater core life purpose.

I’ve done this.  We’ve ALL done this.

But WHY?

As a healthy lifestyle coach for purpose-driven women I encourage women to ask themselves WHY they are doing things the way they’re doing them just because it’s the way they’ve always done them.

Sometimes taking a break and re-evaluating our current situation is key to our growth and self-development.

Balancing It All and Gaining Perspective

But how do we balance our time effectively and what does taking a meaningful break look like?  What is considered to be a nice balance of time well spent?

Does it mean abandoning our responsibilities and going off to a foreign land to sip strawberry daiquiris?  Does it mean letting dishes pile up in the sink and not cleaning the house for a week?  Does it mean hustle for 36 hours straight so that we can then scroll social media for the next 36 hours straight and catch up with what our friends are doing?  Does it mean calling in to work and telling our boss that we’re not coming in for a week so that we can do a little retail therapy and go shopping (Some ladies probably say a big emphatic “YES” to that…haha).

What taking a break means to me is taking an honest and objective look at everything that consumes our time and asking ourselves if it’s serving our bigger picture.  But what if we don’t even know what our big picture is?  What if our mind is clouded by who we think we should be and how we think we should behave and we really don’t know where to begin to understand our bigger picture.

Well, one method I’ve used is to mediate and/or pray for God’s guidance and listen for the answers.  Another method I’ve used is to gather constructive insight from people who know me well so that I can assess my blind spot areas. Another favorite method of mine is to do a brain dump exercise and simply write out all of the words and phrases that describe my current situation.  I then review what I’ve written down and ask myself if that’s the message I’d tell myself to embrace when I was a young girl.

If your current situation is like 7^th heaven all the time then good for you.  Maybe you’ve already arrived.  I’m talking more specifically to ladies like myself who desire to redefine our priorities and embrace further growth in what we were created to do on this Earth so that we can continue to consistently serve at our best.

My Personal Assessment

Recently, I chose to take a break from my usual pattern and assess my own life.  What I found astonished me!  I discovered that I was spending WAY too much time scrolling and chatting with friends on social media, looking at what everyone else was achieving and doing and not assessing my own big picture life goals.  Although I was making progress toward some goals I was falling behind in other areas of importance.  I began to remember how much more life and vitality I felt in previous months when I wasn’t spending as much wasted time on social media.

I wasn’t working out and cooking as many healthy meals as frequently as I desired.  I wasn’t as fully present during family time.  I was slipping on building communication and sharing my message with some of the ladies I had previously connected with offline.  Instead, I was wasting too much time on stuff that simply did not matter so much.

I wouldn’t say that it was a total waste of time because I definitely was still impacting a large audience on a daily basis and also helping ladies exceed their goals.  However, I wasn’t spending enough time on ensuring that I’m making consistent effort toward my own next level goals, which also included being more PRESENT with the moment and tuning in more deeply with where I’m being led so that I can impact women on a more intimate level!

So, I decided that I’d significantly limit my time on social media and LIVE in a more present state.  This new behavior confused some people, but also gave me better clarity and focus on what truly matters, taking action that aligns with the path that is destined for me.

You are a part of my growth process too and I appreciate you taking time out to read about my journey!  So that we can keep in touch and continue impacting the world together don’t forget to connect with me and other purpose-driven ladies in my Nutrition 4 Busy Women Facebook Group.

I’d love it if you also shared this article with friends and fam who sometimes forget that the present moment is full of beauty if we know where to look and that it can be appreciated just as much as our best past and future moments.

Lastly, if you have not had an opportunity to listen to my YouTube or Podcast series where I highlight women’s success stories from all around the world please do so by clicking here if you’re an Apple mobile device user and click here if you are an Android device user.  Those are just a few ladies I’ve collaborated with in one way, shape or form and are open to building a genuine friendship with you if you’d like.

I believe in our UNIQUE greatness!

To Our Health & Happiness,

Ebonie

xoxo