Let go

So, how did you sleep last night? That is a very frequently asked question but have you ever been asked and not even come close to explaining the truth? I mean honestly—how many people will actually explain in detail how little sleep they received and the true reasons why?

"Well, Chucky, thanks for asking. Let's see ... I was exhausted so I headed off to bed—I laid there for what seemed like six hours, tossing and turning enough to reduce my good sheets down to a mere 140 thread count, as a thousand thoughts raced through my mind.

"I couldn’t decide if I should rescind the decision I made with a customer that gave me that 'funny feeling' for the umpteenth time or just go over finances some more and see if the numbers come out any different. After that, I moved on to some family affairs and asked if it is all me or are things not going as smoothly as years past, and what about Aunt Mae’s health? I visited thoughts about how come I don’t seem to have as much time to do the things that I enjoy anymore (and if I do I am so tired that I don’t have the desire).

"Well then I guess I drifted into thoughts about stuff around the house and how much upkeep it is requiring lately, heating oil prices and how long before that old furnace shuts down. That put me back into finances, which in turn sent me back to business. Not really sure when I dosed off, only to jump up from a dead sleep thinking I had forgotten to do something, you know how that gets your heart pounding, so I returned to reducing the thread count of my sheets getting back to a normal pulse."

I figure with a true answer like that, you may not get asked much afterward. But ... have you asked yourself, “How did I sleep last night?” That may sound odd, asking yourself a question when you already know the answer. Maybe you're not thinking about it the right way!

The Sleep Number beds from Select Comfort lay claim to having the right adjustment for anyone to get hours of quality sleep. That’s it; they don’t require a survey of what you have eaten lately or which side you sleep best on, simply adjust the control until it feels good, relax and enjoy. If only it were really that easy, huh?

Ever consider just letting go? Or have you ever heard of it? Not sure how to? Letting go is for everyone—not just business owners, CEOs, VPs, etc., and it is not just at bed time that it needs to happen—it is for off time, or “me time."

By a show of hands, how many of you physically took your work to bed last night? Exactly, no one ... that would be silly! Now, how many of you mentally took work to bed? Wow, would you look at the sea of hands now!

“You sir—in the back—do you get paid to worry about work? Are you on the clock during those nighttime think sessions?" Not so much huh? So why is it that so many people do it? Is it because we were never taught to rest the mind?

I thought that covering “letting go” pertaining to work was something that every one of us can relate to.

How was your weekend? Yup, you guessed it—no different then sleep—there are folks among us that bring work along for the weekend fun as well. Isn’t it hard to really relax and have a fun weekend with work always following you around?

For some of us, letting go of work is a little tougher where we work partly out of the house, but there has to be a definite line between the two. It doesn’t matter the place, as much as it does the place your mind is at! It is time for some mental training, time to make a commitment to yourself: When the work day is done, make your mind punch out and call it a day too. If your mind wanders to work, pick a word, a place or a favorite memory and snap it back. Your time is something that work can never buy back for you!

Learning to “let go" will change your sleep, your weekend, your work and your life!