I’m all about the BUSYNESS DETOX this month.

BELIEF
BOUNDARIES
BALANCE
BUSINESS

Hi, I’m Tiffany. And I’m a WORKAHOLIC.

No blame.
No shame.
But awareness.
And a willingness to change.

Work has been my joy. My comfort. My distraction. And it kept me BUSY.

It is really hard to admit that BUSYNESS is addictive. I have had to recognize that when my personal life gets emotional I pour myself into work.

Five years ago my grandmother passed away on Father’s Day morning and within 24 hours my dad would be on an operating room table with a 20% chance of surviving. That week is a blur of funeral preparations, visitation, hospital waiting rooms, ICU, and voicemails.

Yes. Voicemails. Because I was sneaking off to quiet corners of hospitals and chapel side rooms to return messages and respond to clients. I found it nearly impossible to pull myself away from work and my sense that my business couldn’t function without me.

I’ve been this way since I was 14. All nighters. Extracurriculars. I had two or three jobs every summer that kept me BUSY 12-16 hours a day. And when I moved into my adult work life, post college, that pattern continued. Multiple gigs running simultaneously. Volunteer of the year. Largest grant recipient in 12 counties. Classic overachiever.

I love working. I’ve always said I work hard to play hard.

I’ve worn the title of HUSTLER like a champion.

I knew I could “out work, out play, or out last” most of my competition. A great way to win a reality tv game show, but it’s no way to build a life.

Three years ago I had to come to terms with the fact that I was a WORKAHOLIC. And it was devouring me physically. Like any challenge and addiction this meant I absolutely had to come face to face with MY RESPONSIBILITY for my behavior and my patterns.

At 44 my body said NO MORE. 30 years of people pleasing, over achieving, striving, and saying YES brought me to a grinding halt.

I was sick, physically, as a result of my choices to STAY IN BUSYNESS. When even the technicians doing your labs are concerned, you know something has to change. And 36 months into my recovery from being a WORKAHOLIC I still battle my mind, my body, and my own limiting beliefs daily.

Can I allow myself a four day weekend?
Will those emails get done if I hand them off?
Do my clients mind responses from the team rather than me?
What has to wait until Monday if I’m on a 5 mile walk in the woods on Friday?
Can I take a nap in the middle of the day?

And yes, I can take a nap.

I have learned to prioritize self-care. The hour spent in meditation and improving my yoga practice is not optional. I know that I love the rush of a live launch, an in-person retreat, and the thrill of 5 states in as many days. But I have to build in breaks. Naps are healing for me.

I always book a hotel with a pool and a beautiful workout room. Not because I’m spoiled but because my body is a priority. And my body holds my brain which was bombarded with stress and a to do list that could never be finished. I know what that looks like. And I know how easy it is to slip into the busy.

BUSYNESS did not make me more money. It was actually keeping me on a plateau. I discovered that I had to slow down to speed up. When I started putting my health and my life in balance with my business, my income doubled and then tripled. I found space to think and create. I know that my mindset improved with my time spent away from my business. I stepped off of the hamster wheel and became the CEO of ME.

Here’s to naps and long walks and early morning swims and late night movies.

What BUSYNESS is keeping you from your best business year?

Are you ready for a BUSYNESS DETOX? Join us in our free community right here, for a month of doing less to do more.