“You must learn how to become a deeply disciplined half ass”
-Elizabeth Gilbert,Big Magic: Creative living beyond fear… and so much more.
Yes. Yes. Today, we're going to let go of control one micro step at a time. If you work alone most of the time and experience that mental chatter that's a little bit too strong because there's nobody to bounce your ideas and stress off of, then you are in the right place.
It doesn't matter if you're a small business owner, solopreneur, digital nomad, or remote worker. These meditations are made for you. This is a motion meditation to help you let go, connect, and energize your solo work experience.
In the next few minutes, we'll focus on disconnecting from work and your mental chatter. For this meditation, you can be sitting or lying down, whichever makes you feel relaxed, because we're not that great at being relaxed, are we? We can get there. Let's do this.
Close your eyes if that's comfortable for you. If not, you can stare at something if you like. It's okay. In fact, if you want to look at something beautiful, feel free to view the image on the YouTube video version of this podcast. They will always be soothing, nature photos I've taken myself.
Control. Control. Even the word feels a bit constricted. And that's not where we need to be.
That's not where our innovation comes from. That's not where our creativity comes from. That's not where our power comes from. Our genius cannot flow unless we are relaxed and we let go of that control. So let's practice doing that.
I want you to ask yourself something.
Where can I let go of control in my solo work life?
Where can I let go of control in my solo work life?
Say it out loud with me a couple of times so your brain knows that you want an answer. Where can I let go of control in my solo work life? One more time. Where can I let go of control in my solo work life? You don't need an instant answer.
But if you ask your brain that question enough times and don't try to push an answer, I bet something will come up. I can bet that you're a little bit tight even asking the question, and that's okay.
You noticing the tightness in your face, in your hands, in your shoulders, in your chest. That's good, because now you know where you need to focus. So let's put our attention in the spot that you feel is the tightest in your body and ask the question one more time.
Where can I let go of control in my solo work life? Just opening up to the possibility of letting go of some of that control will help.
Let's shift over to our breath now. So let's inhale for four, hold for four, exhale for four. Like this. (breathing sounds)
One more time.
Let's think of the word let go.
As you're inhaling, as you're holding, and as you're letting go, something like this. (more breathing sounds) Let go. Let go.
I know what you're thinking. If you let go, nothing will get taken care of. It's not true.
We hold onto too much. We control too much. It's a good trait that we have. It's why we're successful in what we do, but we extend it too far. You're amazing, you know that? A lot of people won't even confront the things that slow them down, the things that scare them. And here you are staring control in the face, and you're willing to let go.
As we wrap up this meditation, we're going to work on the mouth. Because I think, like me, you store a lot of tension in your mouth. So here's what we're going to do.
We're going to open our mouth slowly on 1-2-3-4. Then we'll hold it there for four. And then we'll close it for four.
Open 1-2-3-4. Stay there for a second. Can you feel your mouth muscles? If you think to yourself, relax mouth, relax mouth.
Does it feel looser? Let's go ahead and close your mouth, 1-2-3-4.
In our daily work life, we do have to control a lot of things, but we don't have to control everything. And that skill that we have to create and manage many things does not have to extend to everything outside of our worklife.
It's okay to let go.
It's hard to hear, isn't it? It's hard to think.
It took us so long to get here.
And that's okay. It's okay to let go. This is not easy.
Don't expect this to be easy. But you can do this. Repeat the meditation a few times and see what happens.
Remember, as you go back to work, keep asking yourself, where can I let go of control in my solo worklife? Give yourself time to answer the question and know that on any given day, there could be different answers. And some days there might be nothing. And that's okay.
There's no wrong way to check in with yourself to make sure you're not doing too much.
Thank you for joining me for this meditation. If there's an aspect of solo worklife that you'd like me to focus on in one of these episodes, let me know.
I'd be more than happy to. I'm a solopreneur, too. I work from home by myself. All of these thoughts come from my own brain blockades. So I understand. I understand the things that you'll be talking about.
Coffeelikemedia.com/contact. You can find more information in addition to this recording on our substac at solowworklifemeditations.substack.com
okay, get back to work (laughter). Bye.