When It Is Just Too Hard

Last weekend was windy, but the sun was out and it was a great day for an adventure ☀️☀️☺️

We drove out to Long Lake and put the kayaks in at the boat ramp which is about half way down the lake.

As I pushed off my net started to fall off the Kayak and so I stopped to sort it out. Husband paddled off for the north end of the lake.

By the time I started paddling he was about 150m ahead of me. The boats going past created waves pushing me towards the Lilly pads and the wind was so strong at times that I felt like I was going backwards despite paddling forwards.

Husband was getting further and further away. I just could not gain on him. Defeated and deflated. I wanted to quit, paddling was hard work.

A few times I stopped to check out the scenery and take photos of the lake, I wasn't captivated by the scenery, I simply wanted to escape the fact that I was left behind and struggling to paddle in the conditions. It was easier to pause.

I got going again and looked up and he was a speck on the horizon. I figured there was no point, I was never going to make it and I could settle for staying put and floating about in the Lilly pads.

I drifted towards the bank at a pair of loons and their one baby. Resolved and a little sad that I was spending the afternoon alone.

After a few photos and contemplating the situation I reevaluated. Hmmm...the lake is probably 1km end to end. I started half way down the lake. I have paddled up to 8km in one day before. There isn't actually any urgency. I've got all afternoon to get there.

Then I said out loud to the loons "what if it's not as hard as I think it is", "what if it's not as far as I think it is"

I started paddling into the wind, reminding myself that "it's not as far as I think it is"

About 20 minutes later I was there! 20 minutes!

I nearly resolved myself to dawdling in the Lilly pads all afternoon because my brain looked at the speck of husband disappearing on the horizon and decided to quit before I even started.

We do this all the time! You may have caught yourself saying;

• "100 pounds is so much to lose" and we give up before we really begin
• "100 unfinished charts is too many, I'll never get them all done" and we are so defeated we spend day after day doing meaningless things to avoid starting
• "5km race is too far, I'll never be able to do that" and we don't.

One Physician I coached recently reflected on her recent experience with her backlog of unfinished charts. It was such a heavy mental load, she thought about it 24/7, but found it so hard to start as it was so much.

We talked about making it lighter, what if it's not as hard as you think it is. Her reality: she closed one month's worth of backlog charts in 20 minutes!!

Seriously, the HOURS she had stressed about 20 minutes of work.

So if you catch yourself overthinking and getting defeated before you start, know that it happens to all of us and let it be lighter.

Seriously, this is all easier when you are connected to a community of your peers 😊, a community who understands backlogs and the administrative burden of our clinical days.

We would love to have you inside the Charting Champions Program  🤩