No technology for a whole week!?
You’re probably thinking, how on earth does someone decide to spend one full week disconnected from technology?
Well, we all remember how chaotic 2020 was, and frankly, 2021 seems to be its evil twin (I digress) …
But, back in August 2020, when I decided to enter full-time private practice, I knew that I needed to build in similar features into my business that I had as a W2 employee.
A SHOULDER TO LEAN ON
I learned from my mentors and colleagues, that being a business owner, let alone a solo entrepreneur, can be lonely and so I knew that I needed to maintain my supportive community around me and be prepared to nurture those relationships in a different way.
My distribution of time would be different (at the time I didn’t realize how different) and so I prepared them (and myself) as best I could for the differences in my availability.
Now, I’m very fortunate to have a supportive network of friends, family, and colleagues, however as the pandemic continued, I noticed that my support network was becoming a bit frayed around the edges and less available to me.
They were feeling the intense impact of the global pandemic and with the swirling social injustices that consumed (and continue to consume) our lives, I knew that I needed to build in additional resources that could help me restore and rejuvenate my energy so that I could continue to show up for myself, my loved ones, and my clients.
#1 Boss
So, I thought to myself, I want to treat myself like a great boss would treat their staff. I knew that I wanted to maintain a sustainable balance between work & leisure AND I wanted to be able to anticipate my needs before things became too intense.
And with the presidential election right around the corner, I knew that my loved ones, my clients, and everyone around me would be feeling on edge as election-day approached, so I decided that I would schedule time off during the week of the 2020 presidential election.
What a novel concept. Finding a helping professional that’s…
– anticipating, their own needs just as they anticipate the needs of others.
– caring for themselves as they encourage others to do so.
– taking time away from work to restore & rejuvenate
MADNESS!!
*This wasn’t the first time, I’ve done this by the way
Cue The Poconos 2015 — Pope visits Philadelphia for 3 days in September 2015 and I’m THE ONE Social Worker (enter Neo from the Matrix) responsible for coordinating 4 transportation plans for 25 veterans receiving outpatient dialysis. Yep, that’s a total of 100 transportation plans. But that’s a story for a different day.
Back to 2020…
The 3P Philosophy
At the time, I didn’t know WHAT I was going to do during that week off in November, but I knew that I wanted to prevent myself from experiencing an unnecessary amount of intense stress.
I knew that I wanted to invite more peace into my life so that I could prepare myself for the unknown road ahead and prevent burnout.
So, there you have it, the 3P Philosophy – prevent, prepare, & peace.
That’s what was driving me to say, “I need to take a break”.
Your Turn
There’s a HUGE misconception, that you must have everything figured out before you decide, move, or act.
My story debunks that myth and I’m sure you have examples from your life that prove to you that you only need a reason to do something, and the rest will come together.
I would love to hear your story, so if you’re willing to share, comment below or send me an email, and let me know about a time that you decided to act in your best interest using peace, prevention, and preparation as the driving force.
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