Trying to Absorb the Unabsorbable

I often have unrealistic expectations of myself. It's something I've worked on for a long time, but still find challenging. One way this pattern shows up for me is that I take on unusual tasks and expect myself to simply 'handle them' in my life without skipping a beat. I make no exceptions for the fact that the new task might require a big 'resource hit' in time, energy and sometimes even money!

I went on a hike last Friday. It wasn't a huge hike, but it is not something that I do every day. I did the hike in the afternoon, and the weather was quite hot. Usually when I hike, i go in the morning when its cooler. I drank a lot more water than I usually do, which was very necessary. In that way, I did alter my normal agenda to accommodate a different reality.

After the hike I was really wiped out. I had dinner and showered, but for the rest of the evening I struggled to complete the tasks I wanted and needed to do. I was a bit confused about how such a 'small thing' could sap my energy so completely.

The truth is, it was a hot, strenuous hike for me. I don't do that every day. I had already worked out at the gym that morning, and done many other activities before I decided to hike in the afternoon heat.

My fatigued state was actually a normal response to the day I'd had. I might not have liked it, but it did make sense, given all that I had done that day, or that week for that matter.

When we take on something, anything new, or different, we need to cut ourselves some slack in other areas. We can't expect ourselves to take on new endeavors with zero impact to our life. That is a sure set up for frustration!

Make sure you allow the extra time, energy and resources that are required by a new experience. It makes the entire endeavor more successful and ultimately more satisfying!