Newsletter #13: Is being over-committed making you crazy?

John Kabat-Zinn brought meditation to the masses in 1979 with his eight-week program called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). A couple decades later, he wrote a book called, Wherever You Go, There You Are.

About ten years ago, I took an MBSR program and have been an on-again, off-again meditator ever since. I never read that book, but I must’ve heard that phrase during the course because wherever you go, there you are has haunted me ever since.

Like when I think about my stress level as an entrepreneur versus my stress level as a corporate citizen.

Or when my husband says we should move to Mexico and live the anarcho-capitalist dream.

Or when I write out a to-do list so ridiculous that I feel like having a cardiac event.

Wherever you go, there you are.

Over-committing is my Achilles’ heel. Funny because I also have minimalist tendencies.

If I look back on my troubles over the years, possibly decades, it’s doing too much that always drags me down. Or rather, it’s having too many things I think I should do that puts a damper on joy.

So, every few months, I give myself some time to regroup. This means reflecting on where I’ve wandered off course, gently encouraging myself to get back on track, collecting those dreary and oppressive to-do lists and setting them on fire.

What sweet relief.

If you’ve ever experienced the gloom that comes with completely unrealistic ideas about what you can and can’t do over an hour, day or week, you’re not alone. We tend to overestimate what we can do in a day and underestimate what we can accomplish in a year (if we’re focused).

So, what can we do instead?

A few ideas for avoiding the craziness that comes with being over-committed:

• Accept that you can’t do it all. For example, since becoming an entrepreneur, my kitchen floor isn’t as clean as it once was.

• Realize what overwhelm really means. It’s a sign that you’re not clear on your priorities. While this may be hard to accept, at least you know what to do next (visit or revisit your priorities for work, family and self-care). This was a lightbulb moment for me because suddenly I had clarity on a familiar and uncomfortable feeling (overwhelm) that used to stymie me.

• Make 90-day plans to support your annual goals. I’m not sure why this helps but it seems to. Thanks to Ed Gandia, business coach extraordinaire, for this tip.

• Give yourself a break. After all, just like me, you’re a work in progress.

I haven’t exactly cracked this nut but I’m making headway and I hope you are too.

Until next time, keep on truckin’,

Andrea

**********The quote of the month**********

Beware the barrenness of a busy life.

— Socrates

**********Marketing tip of the month**********

How to increase response in lead generation: part 1: the bait piece

Never do a lead‐generating promotion—ad, banner ad, e‐mail, direct mail—without a “bait piece.”

The “bait piece” is an informative booklet, white paper, or special report addressing some aspect of the problem your product or service helps the reader solve.

Example: Fala Direct Marketing, a letter shop specializing in producing personalized direct mailings, offers a free booklet, “Should I Personalize?” It helps clients decide whether and how to personalize their mailings.

You will greatly increase response to your direct mail and other promotions with the offer of a strong bait piece, e.g., “Call or write us today for a copy of our FREE booklet, ‘7 Ways to Reduce Energy Costs.’”

Conversely, not having a bait piece will significantly lower the response rate to lead‐generating direct response promotions, whether business or consumer.

How to increase response in lead generation: part 2: hard and soft offers
To avoid only attracting people who want free booklets, have both a hard and soft offer in every lead generation promotion.

The soft offer is the offer of the free bait piece, e.g., “Click on this link to download a copy of our free White Paper on Internet Security.”

The hard offer is: “Call us now to arrange an appointment so we can discuss your needs in detail.” Prospects with an immediate need will take you up on the hard offer, while those who don’t have an immediate need but might require your help in the future will respond to the soft offer.

Source: Bob Bly (used with permission)

**********Good vibes**********

In case organization is on your fun list

Don’t get the wrong idea from my above letter. I’m not saying remove cord management from your to-do list, especially if it could bring you joy as epic as this:

It’s like angels are singing, isn’t it?

Source: unknown author/imgur

**********My 60-second commercial**********

I'm an executive ghostwriter, specializing in benefits, leadership coaching, corporate wellness and employee assistance programs (EAPs).

I work with executives and executive coaches who have big hearts, are driven to help others and never open a conversation they're not willing to close.

My clients are straightforward, ambitious, humble, hilarious and I never have to wonder what they're thinking because they say what they mean and mean what they say.

If you're a tough-love executive or executive coach who would benefit from the kind of work I do, please get in touch:

andrea@redsailwriters.com | 647-502-3187 | ca.linkedin.com/in/andreabassett

Let's talk about these thought leadership projects in 2021:

• Newsletters | White papers + e-books | Ghostwritten articles

• Workbooks to supplement corporate training

• Business book ghostwriting (fall 2021, early 2022)