THE WORKAHOLIC SOLUTION

Being insanely busy all the time is not only bad for you;

it also prevents you from discovering the human being you were meant to be. 

–Andrew Smart

EPISODE #94

In this episode we will be covering:

• How slowing down can help you make meaning out of experience and ultimately help make you more productive, maximizing your impact, influence, and legacy 
• 7 ways to break your workaholic tendencies 
• The latest personal growth tool I stumbled upon and you deserve to know about!

INSPIRED BY….

My babymoon relaxation weekend in Myrtle Beach

THE WORKAHOLIC SOLUTION

Autopilot, by Andrew Smart

Quotes from Smart:

• Our long-standing “idlephobia” has lead inexorably to our current near-obsession with busyness.
• In the short term, busyness destroys creativity, self-knowledge, emotional well-being, your ability to be social – and it can damage your cardiovascular health.
• True insight, whether artistic or scientific, emotional or social, can really only occur in these all-too-rare idle states.
• Allowing the brain to rest opens the system to exploiting these mechanisms of nonlinearity and randomness, and amplifies the brain’s natural tendency to combine percepts and memories into new concepts.
• Doing nothing actually makes your brain function better.
• Western society has instilled in us a belief that every moment of every day must be filled with activity. Indeed, it is almost a moral obligation in the US to be as busy as possible. I will try to show that for certain things the brain like to do you may need to be doing very little.
• Modern technology can literally make us dumber.
• On the contrary, when you leave important parts of your brain unattended by relaxing in the grass on a sunny afternoon, the parts of your brain in the default mode network become more organized and engaged.
• If you knew being idle (preferably while lying down on a blanket under a tree with an ice bottle of wine) for more hours of the day could add years to your life, what would you do?
• The common sense notion about ‘workaholics” is that they find idleness and inactivity to be unbearable because they are escaping emotional pain through constant work.
• In our hysterical rush to make money, gain status, compete for scarce jobs, jockey for promotions, make our kids athletic and intellectual geniuses, and organize our lives down to the second, we are suppressing our brain’s natural ability to make meaning out of experience.

WAYS TO BREAK YOUR WORKAHOLIC NATURE

1. Set boundaries on your time – don’t work when you don’t have to, even when it’s your passion.
2. Protect your schedule: set specific parameters on when you will work and when you will not
3. Take a social media retreat – either a 21-day cleanse or a weekend disconnected
4. Remove your work email from your phone, unless required by your place of employment.
5. Set 3-5 daily email check-in times and stick to those only.
6. Realize that having idle rest time is actually productive and not something to be apologized for.
7. Say no to more things, know your true worth lies in who you are, not in what you do or what you strive to achieve. Happiness is measured by your ability to actually live life, and when you are a workaholic, you aren’t living life, you are watching life pass you by.

LISTENER OF THE EPISODE:

Kristen Brown

Subject: “I became a runner today.”

Downloaded your app and am starting today!! I’m in 2 weddings, going to 4 others and have a cruise planned this year. If ever there was a time to get in shape it is now. Did some research and bought your app, some new shoes, and some spunky new running clothes. The weather in Louisiana is crazy! I’m completely excited to take this journey! 

I’ve been good about staying away from fast food, only drinking water and coffee and trying to eat healthier but sometimes it gets tough. Any advice on how to stay motivated to keep going past the soreness and weather issues? The buddy system won’t work here as the only people I know work hands on in the plant and the only exercise they do after work is lifting a beer to their mouth. 

Thanks and I look forward to sharing my progress with you!! 

Why I love Kristen and selected her as listener of the episode:

• Confidence!
• Positive declaration!
• See yourself for who you want to be – not for who you have been or are in the moment.
• Words of affirmation about who you are becoming.
• This is someone who will achieve her goals, there is no doubt!

My advice for you, Kristen, and for those like you:

• Write your goal out and put it on paper.
• Put it somewhere you will see it daily.
• Celebrate your small victories.
• Be intentional about putting yourself around new friends with similar goals.
• Track your food.
• Always have your workout clothes ready the day before.
• Schedule your workouts in your calendar and set alarms to remind yourself.
• Focus on how good and energized you feel, not on the progression of numbers

ACCOUNTABILITY COACHING:

I have six open accountability coaching spots – first come, first serve.

Accountability coaching is for

• anyone determined to make this year their best year yet and wanting assurance that they will stay on top of their game and goals, not losing focus or momentum through the year
• anyone with a goal that really matters to them who wants assurance that they will stick with their pursuit of their goal
• anyone who struggles with follow-through and wants to change that
• anyone looking to have an edge on achieving their goals or dreams and wants a coach in their corner to keep them on track and consistent
• anyone wanting fitness / workout accountability and personal training advice
• anyone who has completed the Breakout Program and is looking for their next step of personal development and growth

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Be more of who you are. Be you. Be free.

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SHOW NOTES:

IF YOU WANT TO BE FEATURED AS LISTENER OF THE EPISODE ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SHARE YOUR STORY WITH ME!

• Voicemail
• Email – trish at trishblackwell.com
• Contact on my website – www.trishblackwell.com
• Twitter – @trainerTRISH
• Facebook – www.facebook.com/trishblackwellfitness
• Instagram – @traintrishtrain