Hiatus
Hiatus
I was moving with a swiftness, every moment of my morning counted. I was a baker on a mission, I had 13 dozen cookies to get to UPS before the last pick up of 4:00 p.m. My cookies contain no artificial ingredients and for me to ship them, I would bake them, cool them down and package them all within hours so my customer received a nice fresh batch. I was watching the clock so I could get them baked and boxed.
In between baking, my breakfast of convenience was a chocolate protein shake that I would literally take a big sip and move onto the next task. I was praying it would give me the burst of energy I needed because I was giving up coffee for just a little while it was becoming a god for me. I felt like if I did not have it by a certain time, I would shrink up like Evaline in the WIZ.
Within a 30-day period I went through a rebranding, I had launched a new page, a website and additional life coaching clients, and while I was handling it all I was relying on the wrong things to give me strength. I thought if I did not start my day with a super chocolate protein shake, I could not function. I then followed the shake two hours late with a super mug of strong coffee. These solutions were temporal and not sustainable.
“Perhaps this was not the time to give up coffee” I thought to myself. The aroma from the pot my husband just made had me seriously rethinking my decision now. I had cookies cooling, a packaging station set up, and my last batch going in the oven when I realized I did not need caffeine I needed a hiatus. A time to retreat and refresh, spend a little quiet time with God, relax and laugh a little.
I was moving so fast, I had to take a moment to get focused so that I could work more efficiently. I shut everything down for a few days. Not a cookie. Not a coaching session Not a tip recorded. Absolutely nothing. To make it even better, my husband and I hit the road for a nice long day trip, just some good music and laughs.
Now, do not think my hiatus was long. It did not go on for weeks, it was just a couple of days. In those two days, I settled down enough to realize I could simplify my life so I could continue to do what I loved...helping others. I had to help myself first and therefore I had to stop and write about this. It is okay to get off the express train and switch to the local, especially if you can get a seat. You see I will always be a N.Y.C girl at heart and the A train was always jammed packed but faster. I would cram in just like everyone else and be miserable most of the time with someone’s hot breath in my face. One day I realized I could adjust my schedule and take the local C train instead. New York City folks tend to do everything with speed, and it is not always a good thing because we tend to miss out on a lot.
So, I have incorporated coffee back into my life a couple of days a week and it is no longer a god, instead I enjoy it for the flavor. I say no more often, and I pay attention to the warning signs of exhaustion. I am quick to recognize that going on a 100 for too long is too depleting. I am true to all my assignments but…...I am quick to take a hiatus when needed!
