You always have the option to do nothing

My Dad is the kind of guy you go to for advice. Even my friends go to my Dad for advice. He’s a smart businessman, level headed, kind but firm. But sometimes his advice drove me crazy. 

Me: Dad, I’ve got this problem, here’s why it’s bad, and here are the options for what I could do. 

Dad: Remember, you always have the option to do nothing. 

Me: {Deep breath}, Dad, I’m not going to do nothing. How can I do NOTHING? 

Dad: I’m not saying you should do nothing but just remember it’s always an option. 

Me: Ok, let’s get back to things I could do. Here’s option 1 . . . 

I’m a doer. A mover and a shaker. I’m a woman of action. Doing nothing felt painful. 

But dang, he was so right. Little did he know (or maybe he did) he was laying the foundation for my coaching business by teaching me to do nothing, to be still, to pause and think about it. 

When you feel overwhelmed or stressed about a problem, the first step is to pause. Just pause. Sit with it. Think about what would happen if you just did nothing. Identify what’s really causing your stress, which is very likely your desire to control something that can’t be controlled.

PS I’m hosting a free online class on August 11 where I’ll teach you the 3 steps to having a calm life. Want to learn how to pause, figure out what’s really causing your overwhelm, and then make a plan to solve it? I’ll teach you how. Register here.