You are not behind

As someone who is prone to feeling constantly behind, whether it’s with my on-line professional development courses, my home de-cluttering projects or getting ready for tax season, these words stopped me cold. “But of course I’m behind – I should be farther ahead!” Do these words sound familiar?

Well, here is radical thought. What if you are not behind? Not now. Not ever. What if you are exactly where you need to be, doing exactly what you need to be doing?

One of my favorite mentors, money guru Bari Tessler, recently sent out an email with this title as part of her free mini-course on her Art of Money method (which is awesome and you can access by clicking on the link above).

To quote Bari, “This mantra, “I am behind” is deeply ingrained in our collective psyche. It’s a form of self-directed aggression dressed up in “self-improvement” clothing. It’s an addictive, shaming loop. It’s self-defeating: it drains the energy, empowerment, and peace of mind we need to accomplish the very things we feel “behind” on. It’s time to let it go.”

I SO needed to hear that!

So this week, I am taking Bari’s advice and honoring my own pacing and intuition, learning to trust my own priorities and claiming my choices. Ahhh, what a relief.

 I can hear you saying, “But……”

Believe me, I know. I have that same voice in my head – won't I just be letting myself off the hook?

Won’t I just whittle away my time and not get anything done?

Well, what I have learned so far is that letting go of that stressful “I am behind” mantra, actually gives me the mental space and the emotional equanimity to look at my priorities more clearly and step into my to do list with renewed clarity, intention and energy.

Next time you find yourself clenching your jaw, tightening your gut or taking shallow breaths, take a peek at what’s going on inside your head. Perhaps the “You are behind” mantra is playing in the background – time to hit the eject button, have a drink of water, take a couple of deep breaths, munch on a bite of dark chocolate and play a new tune – I am not behind!