Maybe You Should Call a Timeout on Yourself

So many lessons we learn in life are right in front of us, ready for the taking.

And yet, do you ever find you have to get the message multiple times, from many different directions, before you have that aha moment and you finally “get it”?

We’re so busy. So much is happening. We can’t catch a breath. We keep going because we feel we must. I’m encouraging you to take a timeout. Hit pause. Just stop. You need it. And the people around you are silently (or not so much) begging you to stop being crazy and start being present. Keep reading if I’ve grabbed your attention.

How Far Will You Go to Get It?

I like to play full out. Coaching, collaborating, connecting, content building, Kilimanjaro Kidz, climbing, kickboxing… I am passionate about these things and more, so I pour myself into them with gusto. And, because I have so many things that fire me up, like you perhaps, I get tired. I get cranky. I need a reality check. I need a timeout.

In April, I boarded a plane (3 actually) and traveled 9,000 miles to return to the magical country of Tanzania. Some of you know I first went there in 2019 to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, visit a children’s home, and then go on safari. And if you know that, you also know that I came back an altered person, with a deep understanding of why God put me on this Earth.

This second visit was to be all about the kids. The non-profit I started as a result of that first, life-altering trip, Kilimanjaro Kidz Education Foundation, was up to 40 sponsored students (now 44 and growing)! I was going to meet nearly all of those amazing children and their families, to see how they are all doing, to listen to what their needs are, and to continue plans for the future. I was also going to see and spend time with my “brothers” – 12 of the crew that took us up Kilimanjaro. My heart knew I was heading home to my extended family.

I prepared for the trip, wrapped up everything I could, and headed out. I committed to staying off email for two solid weeks. Once there, I discovered I wasn’t able to listen to my voicemail, so I unplugged from that for two weeks. Texts were kept to a minimum. And in two weeks, I only set an alarm to wake up for church on two Sundays.

Something truly magical happened. I experienced fully unplugging and being completely in the moment. I was PRESENT. Unhurried, undistracted, unbothered. I experienced. I noticed. I enjoyed. I relaxed. I appreciated. I restored.

And to think, I only had to travel 9,000 miles to Get It!

This got me wondering, what can I do to experience more of this at home? I made some commitments to myself that I’ll share with all of you:

• Simplify. I pack so much into my daily schedule that sometimes I forget to eat. Some days, I am lucky to pee. (I know, TMI.) I am revising my Big Rocks that go in my schedule and questioning whether each thing I contemplate adding after that enriches or depletes me.
• Delegate. I have an amazing VA who has been patiently waiting for me to put more on her plate. She’s a rock star, and I have known for awhile there are many things I could be handing off. I am revising a list for her and will let go more.
• De-clutter. There are too many “things” in my environment and it’s distracting and energy draining. I am in process of evaluating each space I spend time in and asking, “What in here is no longer meaningful or useful and needs to go live with someone else?”

By the way, I had planned to be back in Tanzania in May 2023 to take a group on a Make a Difference Safari (pm me for details). I realized I want to be there sooner. So that Big Rock is going into December’s calendar. Everything is possible when you get clear on what fills you up.

Need someone to direct your timeout? Email me at amy@realestatemastersguild.com or call me at 303.682.1072 if you’d like some help.