It's OK To Enjoy Yourself
Written by James
Hey Tribe,
Welcome back!
When I first got into self-improvement, I would treat myself harshly if I took a night off on any activity deemed “unproductive” (i.e not contributing towards achieving an end goal).
My mind filled with uncompassionate thoughts
“How could you take a night off?”
“Your life is ticking away, and you choose to waste it…”
All this achieved was making me feel bad.
It took me many years to accept it is okay to enjoy yourself.
That meant:
• Spending time with friends, not motivated by any ulterior desire.
• Doing activities that didn’t have to stretch and challenge.
• Enjoying things that don’t contribute to an end result.
The first step when taking a night off was learning to “forgive”, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised there is nothing to apologies for.
Leisure time helps you unwind, relax and recover – all essential to helping avoid burnout, ready to take on ambitions and grind another day.
“Netflix and chill” has become a trope to describe laziness and procrastination – but it’s okay to indulge in entertainment.
Where it comes bad is having too much, getting in the habit of binge watching, as whole evenings and weekends are spent working through the latest must watch show.
The solution is simply a case of maintaining a sensible balance.
Too much of a good thing means ambitions don’t get realised and changes don’t happen.
But too much grinding means you don’t get to enjoy the life you are working hard to make better.
There is no point:
• having a nice home if there is no one to share it with
• being financially secure if you can’t use some of it to experience life
• obtaining a high powered and respected position in society if you are lonely.
Learn to take pleasure in simple things, look at the stars, breath the air – everything doesn’t have to be about achieving a win.
Repeat after me:
It’s okay to relax.
It’s okay to take a night off.
It’s okay to do things that give you nothing but pleasure.
Take care of yourself and see you next time.