This post was inspired by the pressure that society puts on us, which encourages us to put pressure on ourselves to do certain things no matter the cost. I have chosen to wake up and stop accepting the norm as the norm.

We’re often pressured to please as many people as possible and run all around doing everything for everyone else, that we forget the wellbeing of the most important person. We chalk it up to being a normal part of life or declare with certainty that it is “just how it is.” 

But is that really true? Are we supposed to abandon ourselves for the sake of keeping others happy or making others rich? 

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>Photo source: pixabay.com

This post isn’t about dodging responsibilities. I’m a mom and I know what needs to get done every day to keep my household taken care of and feeling loved. I take pride in taking care of my son and will gladly do it until he's ready to spread his wings.

The point is, extra, unnecessary things (e.g., ridiculous work demands) tend to intervene in our lives so often that we don’t even notice. It’s work, so it’s important, right? Before we know it, our entire life has passed us by and we haven’t accomplished a single thing outside of our careers. We become victims of society’s subtle intrusions. Our entire family hates us for being emotionally unavailable and we’re worn out from the daily grind. What kind of life is that?

I choose to be rather oblivious about what society expects of me and instead opt for working toward the goals of myself and my family. I have no loyalty to my job because I know they have no loyalty to me. It’s nothing personal, strictly business. Other than what I’m expected to do to keep my job for the time being, I don’t do anything extra. 

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I am currently planning and implementing goals what will get me out of my job soon. As I’ve been working through this process, I’ve created a checklist of 6 questions I like to ask myself daily to ensure I’m staying on track to accomplish this goal.

I might add to these as time progresses, but here’s what I have so far:

1. Do I really need to say yes to everything that everyone at work throws at me? It’s my job to attend to what is on my plate, not to do others’ jobs for them. Just because I’m empathetic when you talk to me about your struggles doesn’t mean I want to deal with them for you. 

2. What are the things that are most important to me on a daily basis? It’s best to write these things down and take them seriously. There are recurring items in my work and personal life that need to get done, but if I don’t even consciously know what these things are, how can I expect to complete them? Taking a moment to clear my mind is definitely one of those important, recurring tasks on my daily checklist.

3. Do I make sure to accomplish those important things first before moving on to optional tasks? This is when I’ll remind myself to stop procrastinating and just get things done. I am a horrible procrastinator and I’m taking action to get better about it. When it comes to work, my motto is “get it done quickly and efficiently so I can move on to personal tasks.” *I write Steemit posts at work. What are you going to do about it? ;)*

4. Do I feel overwhelmed or flustered from information overload? Maybe I’ve been consuming too much media (news and social.) I’ve gradually stopped bothering with mainstream media and social media – except Steemit of course! I don’t miss it at all.

5. When I say I don’t have time for something, is it because I really don’t have time for it or is it because I don’t want to have time for it? I must be honest with myself when asking this question. Maybe a reallocation of priorities is necessary. There really isn’t such a thing as literally not having time for something. In reality, this is a simple matter of making time for it or abandoning it altogether without feeling guilty (choose one and get on with your life.) I go to the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays because I choose to forego other activities in order to fit it into my schedule. It’s easy to be lazy and say I’m too busy for the gym, but I choose not to say that. 

6. Have I done at least one thing today for the sake of my self-improvement or spiritual development? Making time for this is non-negotiable. If I don’t upkeep my inner self, my outer self and family will suffer, too. We all have to decide what this process will entail and stick with it. 

I recommend that you create your own checklist sooner rather than later.