Are you putting too much pressure on yourself?

​Sometimes, before I write these posts, I get caught up in my head.
 
I get freaked out about how good the post has to be.

I start thinking about how life-changing it has to be… 
 
Unhelpful thoughts sneak into my head.

And I start putting pressure on myself.
 
Of course, then the post becomes really hard to write!
 
And yet, when I think about it logically, this doesn’t have to be the Best Blog Post You’ve Ever Read :)
 
It doesn’t have to win awards.
 
It doesn’t have to be inspiring and encouraging and thought-provoking and caring and calming. (How could one post do that, anyway?!)
 
I have to see it for what it is: just a blog post, saying hello, and giving some words of support.
 
I have to take the pressure off myself.
 
Because here’s the thing…
 
Some people will unsubscribe from my newsletters - and that’s totally fine (if that’s you, thanks for stopping by up to this point!)
 
Some people will love my posts and find them incredibly helpful. Fantastic, if so.
 
Some people won’t read them: because they don’t want to, or don’t have the time, or they plan to come back to them later.
 
All totally fine.
 
I have to remember that it's just a blog post :)

And I’d encourage you to do the same with whatever you’re working on: take the pressure off.
 
See it for what it really is…
 
This is just a simple blog post.
 
It doesn’t have to be groundbreaking, or change the world.
 
(It would be great if it did. But it’s really my ego that wants that.)
 
That page of your novel you’re working on… it’s just a page!
 
Don’t get caught up in how life-changing it has to be. Just write the page.
 
That race you’re training for… it’s just one race!

Just do the training, do the best you can, and try again if you don’t get the time you want.
 
That amazing job you were going for… if you don’t get it, use it as a great learning experience:
 
What could you improve for next time?
 
That night out where you weren’t feeling yourself… that’s okay.
 
It’s okay to have quiet moments, or say things occasionally that sound stupid or aren’t that interesting (speaking from experience ;)
 
We put so much pressure on ourselves for our work to be perfect or amazing.
 
But it really doesn’t have to be.
 
Not all the time, anyway.
 
So I’m giving you permission - if you need it - to take the pressure off yourself.
 
Your blog post... your tweet... your photos... your day.
 
Some people will like what you do; some people won’t.
 
And that’s OK.

Note: I'm not saying the things we're working on don't matter.

I'm saying that often we build things up in our heads to have more significance than they need.

 So if that's you, give yourself a break. 
 
And now over to you: What will you take the pressure off yourself for?

​What will you go easy on yourself for?
 
Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear!
 
Sending you encouragement and high fives along your journey :)
 
Claire