I’m a striver. Always have been. But I hope the words that follow that phrase aren’t … and I always will be. That is why today I needed to prove to my striving mind that non-striving is ok, and sometimes even better than striving.
When I woke up, my to-do list for today looked something like this:
- Change the HVAC filters
- Catch up on work expenses
- Unpack from a recent trip
- Work on Dr. Lissa Rankin’s 40 Day Whole Health Challenge
- Grocery shop
- Meditate
- Exercise
- Call my parents
- Fold laundry
- Do more laundry
The kicker? It’s President’s Day! The real kicker? It’s 75 and sunny in Napa Valley, it’s February, and my husband and I both have the day off! So why am I wedded to my to-do list? What would really happen if I ignored it and only did what I wanted, allowing my non-striving mind to take charge? Well, I did just that. I put my non-striving mind in charge.
Here is what my non-striving day looked like:
- Meditated for 45 minutes
- Day dreamed for 10 minutes
- Got in the car with the husband
- Drove to our favorite little Napa Valley town
- Had a leisurely lunch of Spanish tapas and paella
- Went for a walk along our favorite streets
- Stopped to take pictures
- Said “I am lucky” so many times
- Held my husband’s hand and laughed with him
The thing is, by the time we got back from eating and strolling around and taking in the sun, the day was barely over. I hadn’t wasted the day. Instead, I felt amazing. I felt serene and relaxed and so blessed to have enjoyed a spring day in the midst of winter. My husband and I were still able to do our grocery shopping. I still called my parents. And now I’m off to exercise.
The bottom line: My non-striving mind was far more productive than my striving mind, and it took better care of me. I had time for all the really important things — meditating, spending time with my husband, calling my parents, and enjoying the sunshine. Everything else on the to-do list? Maybe I’ll finish it all tomorrow. Either way, my striving self is just going to have to learn how to be ok with that.