Tuesday, 26 March 2013 10:48

Start where you are…Do nothing!

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'What makes you worthwhile is who you are, not what you do'.
Marianne Williams

Do nothing! Pretty strange advice coming from a Life Coach whose business ethos is 'Action-orientated coaching to live happy, healthy lives', but I assure you there is method in my madness!

Most of us are bombarded by a rush of thoughts from the moment we wake up in the morning to when we collapse exhausted into bed late at night. Our days are packed with activities, meetings, appointments, deadlines and to-do lists that drive us relentlessly. More often than not, we are so busy just getting by that we don't take the time to stop and assess whether the many the things we are doing in our pursuit for happiness, are actually taking us in the direction we want to go. We forget that it is not all about taking action. To move forward and to live the lives we want, we need to take focused, effective, action.

Surprisingly, the first step in doing that is slowing down. Our instinct is screaming at us to hurry up, go faster, do more, try harder when instead, what we really need to do, is slow down, take a deep breath and look at what is going on inside and around us. Unfortunately this is not something that comes easily to many of us unless we are ill or craning our necks to peer at a passing roadside accident!

So, for this week, I would like to suggest you don't do anything differently... yep, I really meant it when I said DO NOTHING! Instead put moments of waiting or transition from one task to another to good use. If you start to pay attention you will notice natural breaks in activity as you go about your day.

While you wait for the kettle to boil, take a moment to look out the window, notice the first rays of sunlight filtering through the trees, feel the weight of your body as you stand and breathe in deeply. As you sit at a red traffic light, instead of drumming your fingers impatiently on the steering wheel, use that moment of stillness to get in touch with your body. Feel your back resting against the seat, notice the air moving across your face and connect with the sense of being alive.

Take it easy and let me know how it goes!

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I'm a Personal Development Life Coach who specialises in L.I.F.E (Living Into your Fullest Expression). Based in Richards Bay, on the East Coast of South Africa, I live with my long-suffering husband, (his description!), two much-loved dogs and care for my elderly father who has Alzheimer's.

Read more about me here.

Comments  

# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-12 16:59
Lucky you, Sabine. Enjoy your holiday.
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# Sabine 2016-07-12 11:27
Now it's time for my holiday so I'm going to try to do more of nothing :)

www.sofarsosabine.com
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-12 07:10
What an excellent idea, Gemima! I'm thinking that sounds like something i should do this week as well. Maybe Thursday...
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-12 06:51
Thanks, Celeste, and good on you for living consciously!
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# Gemima 2016-07-12 05:54
Yep tomorrow I am doing absolutely nothing ! *cue Bruno marses lazy song *
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# Celeste Burgess 2016-07-12 00:13
I agree, we must slow down enough in order to get the most out of this life. I try to live by this motto. Take a breathe and just mve slowly through everything that I do. Great post. ;)
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-11 19:17
Switching off is really hard for me as well, Lily. I have an incredibly active mind and it has taken years of practice to remember to pause rather than rush headlong into the next thing.
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# Lily 2016-07-11 18:34
I find it so hard to do nothing. I have to force myself l. Its true though we have such hectic busy lives now it's hard to switch off.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-11 16:42
Exactly my plan on how to make the most of the rather busy week I have, Dreammerin.
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# Dreammerin 2016-07-11 09:52
Sometimes we need some time to just do nothing! Yes, the best advice is slow down and just enjoy life!
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-11 06:35
Absolutely Jenna! Be here rather than everywhere sums it up rather well, don't you think?
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-11 06:34
Wow, Eloise, what a powerful comment, An experience like you had changes you and makes what is important so clear. It really is something to remember as we start a new week in the middle of 2016!
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# Jennifer Luna 2016-07-11 05:56
Love this! It's like mindfulnss and taking time to be in the moment rather than be everywhere.
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# Eloise 2016-07-11 02:19
It took me almost dying to realize there's more to life than rushing and planning to make your future the way you want it... We must live in the moment and embrace the beauty of all the things that make us happy... people miss out on so much always thinking about the future or holding on to the past, forgetting that life is best spent in the moment. give yourself time to do nothing and enjoy it... love this post!
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-10 17:11
I'll second that, Mel.
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# Mel Sak 2016-07-10 16:58
Slow down is the best advice!
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-10 15:20
Many years ago, on a weekend workshop, we were running behind schedule. Instead of rushing on to the next thing, the course presenter suggested we pause for a few minutes to settle and refocus. It was so powerful, after a brief pause we were so much more productive. It's a lesson I have never forgotten.
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# Ana De- Jesus 2016-07-10 15:13
Its true sometimes doing nothing is when you become the most productive. Its funny how life works sometimes.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-10 15:12
Wow, a full time job and blogging is a mammoth undertaking, Tescha. It 's easy to lose sight of the 'why' while trying to keep up with all the 'how'. Heading towards happiness sounds like a pretty good plan to me!
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# Tescha 2016-07-10 14:41
Reading this made me so HAPPY:). Working a full time day job and blogging is crazy busy. I need to slow down and focus. Life is about happinesss:0
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-10 13:08
Thanks so much for the positive feedback, Ana. Nature does it for both you and me. I live in an area surrounded by natural forests and just looking up from my computer, I see a thick, tangled mass of beautiful trees. We even have wild monkeys passing through most days, so yes, a big hooray for nature!
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-10 13:03
A typical tortoise and hare scenario, Laura! Slow down to get more done, and it works better the more stressful the situation.
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# Ana 2016-07-10 04:16
Beautiful piece of writing! I truly believe that enjoying little things in life makes a huge difference in oneself and enjoying motherhood nature is a rejuvenating experience!
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# Laura H 2016-07-09 22:34
This is great advice. Everyone is constantly trying to move forwards and get ahead but the stress and strain will only slow us down really. We need to take a break sometimes!
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-09 19:46
You and me both Bella! The world just seems to be going faster and faster and it is impossible to keep up with everything.
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# Bella 2016-07-09 19:23
I am someone that is go-go-go all the time. I have the hardest time taking a breather or slowing down. I need to focus on this.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-08 16:44
It is because of all of that, Joanna, that I don't know if we can afford not to stop and breathe. The world is not going to stop, it is up to us to find our balance.
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# Joanna 2016-07-08 16:21
I wish it was so easy to just stop and do nothing. But life is moving so fast and the to-do list gets so big, we hardly can afford to take a time off and just breath...
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-08 14:54
How lovely that it feels like a treat for you, Jessica! It's a fantastic attitude to have.
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# Jessica 2016-07-08 14:36
Doing nothing makes me feel that I am treating myself and that, it relaxes my mind. Life needs some pauses time by time. :)
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-08 13:09
Absolutely Elizabeth, and the magic thing with it is that anything, like a red robot (traffic light!) becomes a reminder to rest for a moment. It has taken years of practice, but I have overcome much of my aversion to queueing and other things that felt like a waste of time. Even the phone ringing can be a reminder to breathe before answering.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-08 13:06
It really is an interesting experiment to try, Liz. It took me a long time to learn that thinking constantly about what was coming next was not actually helpful. It tends to just create more pressure and a feeling of needing to rush. Pausing, on the other hand, brings calmness and clarity, and leads to more effective action. A vastly different experience!
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# Elizabeth O. 2016-07-08 03:52
We live in a fast paced world and it's really difficult to keep up sometimes. Our health is at risk too because of this! I really think it's a great idea to try and slow down every once in a while and allow yourself to breathe.
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# Liz Mays 2016-07-07 23:16
I should try this out. As soon as a wake up I'm thinking about what I need to get done before noon.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-07 17:07
Mindfulness techniques often remind us to pay more attention to the in-between times, the transition from one task to another. Like you said Ivan, it's a great way to recharge your energy.
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# Ivan Jose 2016-07-07 16:54
Great reassurance. Take mini-breaks in between tasks to recharge you.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2016-07-07 12:03
Well said, Empire. Now it's just to remember and apply!
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# Empire 2016-07-07 11:41
I'm a firm believer in doing nothing or just taking it slow, to actually find your happiness, your true self and your purpose.
As you said, we are constantly bombarded with ''to do'' thoughts and we're so bombarded with ''you should do this, you should do that with your life'', that it is necessary to take a step back and get some perspective.
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