Every Tuesday, I have a “Little Chat with Shannon” live stream in the 52 Cues Community. This topic was on my mind recently.

Dealing with Overwhelm

It’s EXTRA-lovely today in Orlando, Florida, with a little sun and a blustery breeze. It’s my favorite type of weather! It’s making me think about what I enjoy in life. And coming out of the COVID era, I’m looking forward to whatever comes next!

But let me be real with you. As much as I love my work, I've been feeling pretty overwhelmed lately. During the pandemic, I was working non-stop for my clients because—SUDDENLY—everyone needed everything online. I went for about 2 years with no days off (not even weekends). I was doing the entrepreneurial “hustle” and becoming increasingly stressed out and unhappy. And to make matters worse, my dad passed away unexpectedly (not COVID). It was a lot to handle, you know?

But here's the thing: I realized that my own sanity is more important than work. I don't want to miss out on time with my family, especially since my mom still lives with us and we take care of her. So, I decided to take a step back and not work as hard anymore. Easy…right?

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, Dave says, “Hey! Let’s do an Album Accelerator!” Suddenly, the publication deadline was upon us, and I fell right back into my old pattern of overwhelm.

That's when I remembered a book I had bought years ago called "It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work." I never read it, so it’s been hanging around on my bookshelf all this time. So far, this book is a game-changer! It talks about how “hustle mania” has taken over the entrepreneurial world, how unhealthy that really is, and offers solutions to the hustle mindset.

The book's first recommendation is to "bury the hustle." Authors Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson write:

You aren’t more worthy in defeat or victory because you sacrificed everything. Because you kept pushing through the pain and exhaustion for a bigger carrot. The human experience is so much more than 24/7 hustle to the max.

It’s also just bad advice. You’re not very likely to find that key insight or breakthrough idea north of the 14th hour in the day. Creativity, progress, and impact do not yield to brute force.

…You can play with your kids and still be a seuccessful entrepreneur. You can have a hobby. You can take care of yourself physically. You can read a book. You can watch a silly movie with your partner. You can take the time to cook a proper meal. You can go for a long walk. You can dare to be completely ordinary every now and then.

If you’ve been caught in that grind, I encourage you to stop working yourself to the bone and stressing. It’s simply not sustainable.

I hope to continue sharing more from this book. We’ll see what other nuggets of wisdom it has in store for us! I’ll be over here being completely ordinary. ;)

Shannon