the dirt on assumptions

You can make all the assumptions you want about how others succeed and therefore how you can, too.

You know you do.

Ever thought about how few of them are true?

We both know what happens when you make assumptions. Problem is, you don’t notice you’re collecting those mental dustbunnies even as they turn into very real, persuasive thoughts. So real that you use them to convince yourself of all the can’ts, won’ts, and don’ts that prevent you from moving forward.

As I wrap up a three-month program I created called Worth It, I’ve noticed three familiar assumptions that come up repeatedly as people make their way through the day. They’re the same beliefs that I held for over 20 years building different businesses. If I can quit them, you can, too.

Assumption #1: You need to fill your time with productive activities in order to be successful.

Look. This isn’t news. I know you know that constant productivity is counterproductive. There’s no room for creativity, for taking time for yourself, for breathing. It’s one thing to know it. It’s another thing to stay still and resist the urge to go do something.

Is it possible to replace your own demand for productivity with a desire for purpose? Yes. Yes it is.

Assumption #2: The faster you go, the more work you’ll get done, the more money you’ll make.

It’s simply not true.

Assumption #3: Taking a break should come easy to you.

We all need a break. But actually taking a proper one — one where you step away, get rest, or relax — is quite hard. As Oliver Burkeman puts it in his book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, “Interrupting the ceaseless round of striving requires a surprisingly strenuous act of will, one that has to be bolstered by habit, as well as social sanction.”

We need to practice stepping away. We need to talk about it more often. We need to support each other (out loud!) when we hear that our colleagues and friends are taking time off.

If you could do things differently for yourself – things that would ease your stress, calm your anxiety, or make you more money – what would you change?

See you soon,

jill

P.S. Wanna join me for my next Worth It cohort? Hit reply and let me know or head over here.

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