With show season quickly approaching, I see more and more artists talking about pulling all-nighters, getting 3 hours of sleep and how the nights are getting shorter and shorter. I’m sure I will ruffle some feathers when I say this but here goes….
GO TO BED and let’s stop glorifying lack of sleep or life in exchange for work.
The other day I started feeling downright guilty that I was rested and had a good night’s sleep. What was wrong with me? Don’t I care enough? Don’t I “want it” bad enough? Why wasn’t I planning to burn the candle at both ends for the next month and roll myself onto the plane looking so tired they might charge extra for the bags under my eyes?
“There is plenty of time to sleep when you are dead.” Right? That’s how really committed people feel… right?
I would like to say this: “Been there, had that melt down.”
Yes, I had my days, weeks, maybe years where I thought working later than everyone else meant I was more committed and would get to where I wanted to go faster. Days (weeks, years) where I felt guilty if I wasn’t working… if I was “being lazy” enjoying a walk or taking a nap.
You know what happened? I got really tired. I gained a lot of weight. I considered quitting this whole thing on multiple occasions. I was out of alignment and it was showing in every area of my life.
Taking care of yourself is SO IMPORTANT. While every stereotype comes about for a reason, I don’t believe that the majority of artists do their best work when they are in pain or mentally ill. I believe we can do our best work AND be happy, healthy and able to enjoy both work and non-work related things.
Look at the long game – don’t sacrifice your health and relationships so you, too, can brag about how many all-nighters you will pull before SURTEX…
Now this brings me to Work-Life Balance… that concept has always made me feel a little guilty because I never felt like I could achieve or maintain true balance. Different times had life or work tipping the scales and then self-criticism steps in and starts telling me I’m not good enough because I’m out of balance.
Well… Tony Robbins changed all of that for me. He introduced me to the concept of Work-Life INTEGRATION and I LOVE IT! Watch this video to learn more…
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What do you think? Will you think about how all of your priorities can be integrated in a healthy and sustainable way? Will you go to bed at a reasonable hour? I’d love to hear your thoughts…
Here’s to your creative success!
– Tara Reed
God. Bless. You. Of course, I say this as I am so tired I could scream…if I was awake and had the strength enough to do it, anyway. This is the reality of our lives as artists, entrepreneurs, children, siblings, friends, spouses, parents, neighbors, etc. Rain rains, basements flood, and life goes on whether you stop to smell the roses, or mop up the water. I have let go of other people’s expectations of my life…so many of them seem to know “what I should do”, especially with my business…but I can’t help but think that if they were meant to live this life of mine, they would actually have it. They don’t. I do. So…I go and do…or stop and enjoy… as I need or can…and if it rains and floods my basement, I will stop and clean it up, just like my friend in Portland…then I work till 10:00 pm…because I can. 🙂
I love that! “If they were meant to live this life of mine they would actually have it” – that is powerful!
Tara
P.S. Basement flooded again! On the schedule to have it all sorted out in the beginning of June – apparently these water diversion ppl are in high demand! 🙂
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I have always thought about integration rather than balance, because I have learned that there is no such thing as balance / haha! We all have different priorities, so each person will end up with a very different lifestyle. But I totally hear you about feeling judged, when someone else doesn’t get your priorities… it’s a challenge and I find myself always working on integration, because there are so many changes in my life now, raising a little boy!