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Abstract
May</li><li>preparing an application for a coaching certification</li></ul><p id="f352">All of these tasks were stimulated by the productivity urge.</p><p id="d2f7">I was overloading myself. Also, I noted with more than a hint of regret that many of these quests to be productive were putting undue pressure on others to be productive too.</p><p id="cd85">It was time to be <i>less productive</i>.</p><p id="fb98">I set about culling my list.</p><h1 id="47d5">Forgiveness</h1><p id="fbe1">Let’s be real for a second. There’s a pandemic out there. We’re all in quarantine. A lot of people have lost their jobs and even those of us lucky to still be working have all but lost the structure to our days and weeks.</p><p id="dc2f">News cycles are punishing. Everything takes more effort. Energy levels are low. Mood can be low too. It is not a time to overload: it is a time for self-care.</p><p id="4f3b" type="7">That can actually mean doing less. And that is ok.</p><p id="3467">I began cancelling things. I cancelled the webinar on remote working. My friend who was organising it with me immediately said thank you.</p><p id="1f94">I postponed the second work-related webinar. Two work colleagues agreed it was a good idea.</p><p id="09b7">Launching the new Medium Publication is still an ambition, but I am taking my foot off the gas with that. It can happen later in the year. I forgive myself.</p><p id="0812">I am also taking the pressure off myself to write at all. I still get huge enjoyment out of writing for Serious Scrum, but my inspiration is lower, and that is ok: it always ebbed and flowed. I forgive myself for my lower rate of publication.
Illumination is a new project for me. I have no idea how much I will write here and, you know what, I forgive myself for that uncertainty as well.</p><p id="e954">Writing this feels confessional and unusual for me. It is not how I normally write. But it feels good. As I write, I forgive myself for over-sharing.</p><p id="4a1d">I hope others will recognise something in my story and perhaps begin to forgive themselves for doing less too.</p><h1 id="87bd">Distraction</h1><p id="a2be">It’s probably fair to point out: I didn’t cancel <i>everything</i>.</p><p id="e2c4">The meet-up in May was a request from a friend and the topic is one I’ve written ab
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out already, so I’m going to continue with that. My friend did ask me this weekend if I was still ok to do it, and I had an opportunity to say no. For once, I didn’t automatically dismiss the idea of saying no. I forgive myself for thinking about saying no.</p><p id="0f00">Also, I continue to be inspired to apply for a coaching certification. This is a long-term ambition of mine, and there is no time-sensitivity to the application process. I choose to take that pressure off myself now, and I also choose to forgive myself for taking my own sweet time with it.</p><p id="d7b2">I allow myself these distractions because they are meaningful to me.</p><p id="53ec">Also, without the overload of other tasks, I can do these at a pace that makes more sense to me.</p><figure id="20f5"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*IiUm2PXzVt6r4zhg"><figcaption><b>Flight Safety Instructions</b></figcaption></figure><h1 id="e2b3">Moving forward, one step at a time</h1><p id="9703">You do not <i>have to</i> be productive.</p><p id="c7d3">You need to care for yourself so that you can care for others. Watch out for the to-do list and that feeling of being a little overwhelmed. It can creep up on you.</p><p id="9383">Forgive yourself for taking on less. It’s ok.</p><p id="2b1a">Forgive yourself for your low energy. It’s ok.</p><p id="4d89">Forgive yourself for your low mood or for those days when you don’t want to do anything at all.</p><p id="5160">It’s ok to not be ok.</p><p id="b459">Flight safety instructions tell us:</p><blockquote id="a104"><p>“If you are travelling with a child or someone who requires assistance, secure your mask on first, and then assist the other person.” (Source: <a href="https://activerain.com/blogsview/2535480/put-your-own-oxygen-mask-on-first">Active Rain</a>)</p></blockquote><p id="0be5">Self-care means that, rather than feeling pressured to be more productive, you might need to go out for a walk instead.</p><p id="45ff">By taking on less and looking after yourself, you will put your figurative oxygen mask on. This will help you to breathe better.</p><p id="5277">First things first. Breathe.</p><p id="8085">If you can, cancel the things you don’t need to do right away.</p><p id="5e33">It’s ok. You can forgive yourself.</p></article></body>
