Bloody Good Chap and I are on our way to Bali!

Because my all-or-nothing, perfectionist self becomes a workaholic at the drop of a mindfulness-related hat, I have no choice but to force myself into situations where I HAVE to slow down, take a few breaths and lie the F down in a hammock because the wifi is so slow that there’s no way I can chat to my team on Slack all day.

I can’t wait!

I’ll be there for 2 whole months again!! Yipee!! I’m going to be warm again. Hallelujah says my cold feed currently inside BGC’s warm socks + my sheepskin Ugg boots!

As my favourite writer, Ash Ambirge puts it, “There will be no congratulatory email that lands in your inbox one day, giving you permission to stop working and start living; no message that says “ding, ding, ding—you can have fun now!” You’re the only one that can make those calls.

You’re the only one who’s going to decide the shape your life—and your business—takes.

I’ve learnt the hard way –

we all think that if only we didn’t have to work for the man, THEN we’d be able to swan around living the dream of lazy mornings and sipping cocktails instead of working.

But it only takes a few months of being an entrepreneur to realise that unless it’s a matter of survival (i.e. our basic needs aren’t met), we are only ever constrained by our own mind.

We use our bosses or our jobs as an excuse for our addiction to work, but really, it’s all us.

Because let me tell you, the moment you’re your own boss is the moment that giant boulders of guilt start piling on top of you the minute you step away from your computer to make a cup of tea.

I’m not sure what this is, this guilt that follows us all round making us feel like we’ve no choice but to attend to phone notifications while watching TV so that at least we feel productive. We write lists at work and lists for our weekends and our whole lives can turn into a productivity dash where we’re constantly disappointing ourselves because nothing will ever be fully done and we’ll never have the energy to stay 100% focussed at all times.

At the very least we can become aware that this guilt is there, and realise that it’s mind-created, and usually not logical.

Then take a break anyway – whether that means having a Kit Kat, cutting yourself some slack and leaving work on time for once so you can watch Orange is the New Black, camping in your backyard, turning your phone on airplane mode from 6pm-8am, or jetting off to Bali – give yourself time and permission to slow down and do the things you enjoy.

What else if your bloody good life for?

See you in Bali!

Follow @projectself on Insta to observe our rice paddy adventures,

and if you have any good Marian Keyes style book recommendations (e.g. easy to read, fun, light – NOT mindfulness or neuroscience or self development related), I would LOVE to hear them!