I’ve been an over-achiever for as long as I can remember… which in many ways has been a great thing. It’s helped me be “successful” in school, work, and most things that I’ve set my mind to.
Which has made it even harder to shift this pattern.
(Because it’s so socially accepted. Celebrated even!)
But there’s a very difficult flip-side to over-achieving…
Taking on more than you can handle. Burning the candle at both ends. Overwhelm. Anxiety. Adrenal fatigue. Hormone dysregulation. Burnout. Just to name a few…
Those were my “symptoms” anyway.
You might also call these symptoms of too much “yang” or “masculine” energy.
I call it too much “go mode.”
Go mode in and of itself can be a great thing. It’s the get-shit-done energy. It’s structure and strategy. It’s strong, practical and forceful.
But too much of it can wreak all kinds of havoc.
As I’ve peeled back the layers of this pattern, I’ve realized that as a life-long high achiever… I will always have a natural drive in me.
I don’t have to worry about not being “productive” or not “doing anything” with my life. That’s just not going to happen!
But the interesting thing is, when I make space for NOT DOING… that’s often when the biggest breakthroughs happen.
Clarity. New visions & ideas. New energy & inspiration.
By tapping into “flow mode” I can access more of my natural “feminine” / “yin” gifts like intuition, wisdom, receptivity, and creativity.
I’m learning to make more space for flow mode in my life. And how to truly UNWIND when I am in that space.
(Because taking time off isn’t enough. And “self-care” doesn’t always make you unwind.)
To truly tap into the gifts of flow takes a different approach… one that I’ll write about in a future post.
For now I’ll just say… I love creating and being in action. I’m grateful for the many gifts that “over-achieving” has brought me.
But I am officially shedding that title in favor of…
“She moves with her energy & inspiration.”
xoxo,
Makena
