How to Do Less and Live More

How can you make room for your well-being when there aren't enough hours (or coffee) in the ever-exhausting day? We've been asking ourselves this question for decades. This isn't breaking news. We all know that our lives are overbooked, and it seems to be getting worse. But lately I've been wondering if we're busier than we really need to be. Are we creating extra work and obligations for ourselves by thinking we're more essential than we actually are? The answer to the last question might bruise your ego. But sometimes your body and spirit need you more than your laptop, friends and even family.

Today I'm going to share a recent experience that inspired me to create more work/life balance. Then I'll give you tips to help you make more time for yourself.

Ready for my big ah-ha?

I finally took time off, and no one needed me.

What?!

For years, I had dreamed about taking a vacation with my husband, but something else always trumped our plans: doctor visits, speaking engagements, manuscript deadlines, web launches, renovations and one emergency after another. Finally, even though the week landed in the middle of a crucial time for my company, we booked the tickets.

Of course I was nervous about what would happen in my absence. But did the world explode? No. My team actually thrived more without me. Ouch and awesome! They made deeper bonds with each other, had time to check off old to-do's and wrapped up a big project with ease. By the end of the week, they were proud of their work and couldn't wait to share their shine with me. And while I felt proud too, I also felt off balance to learn that my chronic indispensability was part fantasy.

If I'm not as important as I previously imagined, can I make more space for me? Absolutely!

Your participation isn't always life-and-death. Your colleagues can run that meeting without you, your 7-year-old can make that peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich on his own (and yes, even clean up the mess!). When we separate fact from fiction, we find a treasure trove of time sitting right under our noses. There will always be 10 more emails to read and endless demands on our time. We're scared to power up, and we're scared to power down. Life is messy. Work is messy. Accept the mess, but then do something about it.

Tips to work less and live more.

• Disappoint people. When you bite off only what you can chew, you're going to disappoint people. Guess what? Not your problem. You're not doing anything wrong. Here's an idea: Make peace with guilt. Guilt is a poisonous illusion. Many languages don't even have a word for guilt. Sure, we all feel it. But we also get to decide if we're going to let guilt bring us down or not. Acknowledge the feelings, and then give yourself permission to let them go.

This blog post is not about lowering your standards or shrinking from life. You matter. You are important. The world would be far less awesome without you. And, believe it or not, it will still keep spinning even if you step back and nurture yourself.

For more by Kris Carr, click here .

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