Ever had one of those weeks where you blink, and it’s nearly gone!?
Then you look at your to-do list and it hasn’t reduced a FRACTION of the length it was on Monday?
Then you mentally jump through hoops to determine if you have actually done anything productive!?
But then, you look back and think to yourself, “Holy crap – I’ve done a ton of good work!” and begin to feel a little bit better about that long list of things that haven’t been accomplished but didn’t make you any worse for the wear?
Oh good. So it’s not just me?
Whew.
I think it’s a good time of the year to remind ourselves – yes, you included! – that it’s very appropriate to give grace to our own chaotic lives.
Whether you are stressed about a publication deadline, a fundraising event coming up soon, or the approaching tough conversation you need to have with a donor, board members or colleague – it’s ok to not be totally ok.
I had the honor of emceeing an event about suicide awareness this morning – and I’ll tell you what:
It was heavy.
Beautiful. Hopeful. Overwhelming. Inspirational.
But heavy.
To think that the nearly 225 folks in the room had the opportunity to hear from learned experiences from parents who lost children to suicide, and to get updated numbers on those who attempt self harm was a really sobering moment…and a very difficult task to shepherd a conversation that is typically very dark.
But we were reminded that it was ok to feel overwhelmed and were given permission to take the time to process afterwards.
Allow me to extend that same grace to you in whatever situation you’re in today.
Our task list is sometimes tethered to how we deal with stress at work – especially in fundraising for our missions.
It’s really critical to glance back at what actions we accomplished to move the important things forward.
And it’s ok to not get everything done.
So consider this your Mental Health Check-In Do-Gooders.
No matter where you are – there’s a light at the end of that tunnel, whether its work or home-life.
You freaking got this!