PP 319: Stretching Ourselves Until We Snap

Kim Sutton Today, I want you to visualize something. I want to imagine that you’re watching a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde movie or TV show, I have to admit, I’ve never watched any of those before. Or I’m even thinking about the Princess Bride where Wesley is laying on that bed, and he’s all strapped up. But now I want you to imagine that your limbs are outstretched, and they’re buckled down but somebody is trying to pull them in multiple directions. Now, I’m sure you understand that that is not comfortable, you’re being pulled in five different directions, and maybe somebody is trying to make you grow faster, like you’re a rubber band. And that if pulling harder will just make you stretch, but you’ll be really nimble and you won’t break. Friends, that won’t happen. At some point, when you are being stretched, you will eventually snap. I was thinking about this this morning, because I was thinking about how so many of us stretch ourselves so thin while we’re trying to build our businesses. We think that if we keep on stretching ourselves in this way in that our business will grow bigger, faster. However, I have found personally that that does not work. Rather than stretching ourselves, we’re actually adding more resistance and in the end doubt. We start to realize that all that extra effort that we’re putting into 15 gazillion directions, is not effective. And what we need to do is bring our limbs back in, stop stretching ourselves out so thin, and focus on one or two core areas. I am so guilty of this, even just recently, okay to be totally honest today, of trying to do too much at once, and creating too much resistance in my life. I become anxious and overwhelmed. I become frustrated because things aren’t going as they should. And I began to wonder what I’m doing wrong. What as I was actually thinking this morning about my frustration. All of a sudden it clicked, I could see myself as that person who’s laying on the table and being pulled. I could feel the pain. And I realized that I just needed to retract and pull it all back together. So listeners if you’re struggling today to work it all out, know that going in 15 different directions is not going to help. Stretching yourself thin in one area is bad enough but stretching yourself thin through your hands and your feet that’s even worse. We need to remember to eat and sleep. We need to remember to focus on the work that’s most vitally important to us right now, well might be painful, perhaps we have to let go of a few of the non income generating activities so that we can focus on the ones that are income generating. You heard me mentioned in an earlier episode, which I will put in the show notes that I had a coach tell me that he realized I was working on 11 different projects. I have been really focused since he brought that up. But I realized that even though I’m working on four instead of 11, I am still overdoing it and overstretched. I don’t want you to feel this way too. So if you are feeling this way, we evaluate. Bring your hands and feet closer to your body, maybe curl up in the fetal position. But listen to what your body is telling you to do that is that one most important activity. We shouldn’t be in fight mode. And when we’re all sprawled out, that’s exactly what we’re doing to ourself. So reclaim your purpose and reclaim your focus. Now with all this said, go forth and make it a positive and productive day.