For years, I “pushed through” life…
I pushed through big projects.
I pushed through my to-do list.
I pushed through resistance.
I pushed through exhaustion.
I pushed through because I wanted my work to make a difference in the world, and I wanted to have a beautiful life for myself one day. I knew that there was no way I’d get there without a lot of heart and a lot of hustle. So I hustled…all. the. time.
The problem was that all that pushing through was killing me…
It killed my marriage.
It killed my adrenals.
It killed my libido.
It killed my passion for my work.
I knew that there had to be a way to have a strong business and a fabulous life, and not just in the future. I knew that, in truth, my “someday” mindset was the real problem.
I realized that I couldn’t create the results I wanted in my life or work if I kept pushing through. And even though I had always told myself that I just needed to work harder, I secretly knew that wasn’t the answer. I was a hard worker. I knew that I needed to devote myself to having a life today, because my life was passing me by.
If you’re rolling your eyes right now, thinking, “Sure, Nisha. Just grab a cup of tea and watch the money roll in”…that’s not what I’m not talking about. Building and growing a business takes a LOT of work, and sometimes that work is hard as hell. It’s an intense journey, and you have to be willing to hustle. But…at all costs?
Chronic pushing through (like, it’s just how you live) is completely unsustainable. The more you push through your work and put off your play, the worse your habits are. And chronic bad habits make life pretty unhealthy.
So I made “someday” today, and started working smarter and enjoying life more.
In less than 1 year…
My business doubled in growth, and I started traveling, developing meaningful relationships, and felt more sexy and alive than ever.
Today…
My business has doubled in growth every year since, and I travel all over the world doing work I absolutely love. I spend time with my girlfriends and have excellent self-care. My life isn’t perfect, but it’s beautiful. My life is definitely NOT passing me by.
Sometimes, it’s not about working harder.
It’s about creating a fabulous life today and trusting that when you let go of doing everything, you end up doing the right things.
—> In the comments below, share what you’re ready to STOP pushing through, and what you truly desire for your life and work.
I was trying to host a retreat for my business and NO ONE signed up, but I kept pushing until I finally canceled it. I’m sad because it would have been awesome, but I feel so much better by not depleting my energy on something that just wasn’t working.
Good timing!
Thank you for sharing this with us Terra, and I trust and know your next offering will be that much more magical to birth and share with everyone. Much love to you. Jolenny from Team Nisha
Hi, 🙂 Yes pushing through to make my business work… yesterday I just hired a coach to have someone telling me, that what I am trying to do does not work, so I have to switch road. And start giving people what they want instead of trying to give them what I want for them!
Your heart will always lead the way Ophelie, we are all supporting you in your journey with love!
Guilt is a big problem for me. Sometimes I feel tired, but feel I can’t just relax, until I’ve done more. I’m getting better at listening to my body though. I’m starting to realize that I have to rest, to read a good book even, or else I will crash. Thank you for lovely reminder Nisha.
Listening to our bodies when it speaks to us can be such a gift Anne <3
Nisha, how timely is this post?! Your message has been at the forefront of my life recently, particularly in terms of relationships with others. So many times I’ve been told that relationships are hard work. But, because I’d been believing this and pushing through for so long, I began to misconstrue the whole point of it all. Listening to Shonda Rhimes’s TED talk yesterday and hearing her say, “work doesn’t work without play” and now reading what you’ve shared are beautiful reminders. I’m relinquishing my perspective that hard work is the one thing that leads to success because that’s simply not true. Thanks for the gentle reminder; play is just as important!
Thank you so much for sharing, Sarah. Looking up Shonda’s TED talk now!
Love this article. Thank you so much Nisha for sharing this important message with us. I was today cleaning a lot of things that were on my plate. Instead of pushing through I decided to let all the activities go where I didn’t feel a positive vibration. These are the things I normally would accept, then things wouldn’t work out and then I had to push through in order to make it work and fix things.