Post On Permission

Is that not the most unoriginal blog post topic you’ve ever seen?

I almost didn’t allow myself permission to do that.

My brain immediately came up with 43* reasons, 43 shoulds, coulds and musts as to why it wasn’t ok.

Does your brain do that? I cant be alone in this, surely!

When life is bat-crazy, business is booming and your attention is being yanked in 26 different directions…

You’re feeling a little** overwhelmed BUT

…your brain goes into overdrive of all the things you should have done already, could have had done while your head had your to-do-list spinning 100:1 like a hamster on a wheel, the kids were crying out for your attention, you were feeling guilty for not checking in with your best gal pal and your parents. I mean you were supposed to cook three dozen cupcakes for the school stall. What about Jayne’s check up? Did you email client P? omg omG oMG OMG OMG

STTOOOOPPPPPPPP

If that doesn’t paint the picture of the shoulds, coulds and musts for you let me give you some examples from my week (while I’ve been pretty gosh darn sick) where I didn’t give myself permission and let’s see if you’ve done similar:

Example 1. I wouldn’t let myself take a 10 minute flick through my favourite magazine (hello Renegade Collective) when I finally felt well enough to drag myself out of bed because…

If I’m well enough to read a magazine, I’m well enough to work. I should be working.

Yes, the girlfriend I shared this with did ask what drugs I was taking. Apparently, she wouldn’t have had a permission issue around this.

Example 2a. I wouldn’t let myself use my new super awesome printer/scanner that I hooked up in literally a couple of minutes, that has crystal clear print quality and despite the fact I can tell it WIRELESSLY from my phone on the verandah to print in my office because…

Even though I’d prefer to read from paper when I want to really study something, that’s wasting ink (despite being 40% cheaper and more efficient to run than my old printer). I should save the paper and ink.

Example 2b. I wouldn’t let myself print my client’s launch calendar in A3 (yep, printer does that plus copies A3 – no more sticky-taped together pages) to stick on the wall because…

Because even though it’s super fast….ok, there’s no logical reason, I blame being sick.

Example 3. I wouldn’t let myself buy more takeaway later in the week because…

Even though it would’ve made life easier, I should be eating healthily especially when I haven’t gone to the gym (which I should’ve done despite coughing up a lung).

Example 4. I forced myself to work on my own projects as well as making sure I kept ahead in my client’s projects because…

I should’ve been further ahead with both, I should’ve launched my current projects already, I should’ve collected testimonials from clients just finishing up and should’ve this, that plus 4,257* other things.

Because it wasn’t enough to only fulfil my clients’ needs.

Well I call BULLWINKLE!

(otherwise known as bullsh*t but I try to minimise swearing in my writing)

There have been so many wonderful posts written lately around not asking for permission. Screw waiting for permission from others etc.

I wholeheartedly support so many of those messages.

BUT.

There is one type of permission I do want you to have.

I don’t want you to seek it from elsewhere.

I don’t want you to beg yourself for it.

I want you to GIVE IT to yourself NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

I want you to GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION to do whatever it is you need to do, whenever you need to do it to create the best, easiest, most enjoyable life and business you can for yourself.

That’s why you started your business, right?

So if that means…

You read a mag for a while.

You create a printing explosion, with the most incredible print quality ever, while lazing on the couch.

You eat Chinese takeaway for three days straight until you decide you need a change to pizza.

If that’s what it takes to get through a tough patch…

YOU GIVE YOURSELF THAT PERMISSION.

UNRESERVEDLY.

WHOLEHEARTEDLY.

EMBRACE YOUR NEW FOUND SELF LOVE.

Because that’s the only permission that counts.

Now go do something totally not on your shoulds, coulds, musts list because you give yourself permission.

(You can thank me later.)

 

*approximate

**grand understatement of the century, wait make that millennium

 

This post was brought to you by Epson and its magic making Workforce WF-7610. Just in case you’re not convinced I love it yet let me say automatic double-sided printing i.e. no jumping up and down from the computer to turn pages over any more. Amen to that sister. Give yourself permission to check it out.