A long day at work. Attending meetings, running around, taking the train to downtown Los Angeles, furiously answering emails at 8 p.m… And that’s when my Fitbit tells me I am falling short. There it is, the circle is not green. I haven’t walked 10,000 steps today and I haven’t burned enough calories. So, I pack my bag and run off to the gym to get those precious steps in because my Fitbit is disappointed with me, and now I’m disappointed in me, too. At 10 p.m. when I fall into bed exhausted, I decide it’s time to fire my Fitbit.
Competing With Ourselves
The worst kind of competition is when we compete with ourselves. We can never win. We force ourselves to continuously do MORE by creating unrealistic goals and exceeding our accomplishments of the week before. The pace of our world is furious enough without looking for additional ways to terrorize ourselves. Really, who needs any more proof or reminders of being inadequate and unable to reach goals?
The Superhuman Paradox
The irony is kind of funny. You see, I wrote a book called Happy Woman Happy World and in it I describe the Superhuman Paradox in great detail. Basically, the paradox is that we are never satisfied. By the time we reach one goal, we are already focused on all the other goals that we haven’t yet reached. And instead of rejoicing that we accomplished something we set out to do, we are disappointed that there is still so much more to achieve. It leaves us in a perpetual state of frustration.
With help from my Fitbit, I just did that to myself. Even if I reached the 10,000 steps, I was upset because I ate too much or had gained a pound because I indulged in chocolate the night before (the horror!). It’s enough to keep me constantly upset with myself.
Here Come the Migraines
My body has a way of yelling at me when I am not kind to it. When I lived to please Fitbit, it felt like my head was exploding for weeks at a time. Can’t relieve the headaches, can’t feel better, can’t do much at all except think about popping a Triptan tablet (a very heavy migraine medication that rewires your brain, literally) and head to the hiking trail. Because I must get 10,000 steps in! Pushing through the complaints from my body that wants stay home, I go anyway—because I’m the boss (and Fitbit wants me to).
Doing Well Or Feeling Good?
One of my guiding principles is a clear understanding between doing well and feeling good. I had always believed that when we do well, we automatically feel good. Now, I am not so sure. Because in this technology-driven busy world, the one thing we need less of is more. More to do, more to be, more to achieve.
Getting Rid of Stress: What We Need is Balance
We need balance. (And guess who is writing about that?) Today, my encouragement to you is simple. What can you cut out? What causes you stress that you can get rid of so you will have more moments of peace?
So long, my friend Fitbit. I loved you for a time, but now we must go our separate ways.
Beate Chelette is The Growth Architect and a results-oriented businesswoman with an entrepreneurial spirit and a proven track record in growing, building and scaling women’s businesses. Once $135,000 in debt and a single mother, she successfully sold her business to a global entertainment media company owned by Bill Gates in a multi-million dollar deal.
Through her online courses, one-on-one training programs and live speaking events, she mentors women entrepreneurs with her 5 Star Success Blueprint, developed with the knowledge gleaned from her growing, scaling and selling her own company. Beate has a deep commitment to supporting women.
She is the creator of The Women’s Code, the fourth step of Growth Architecture that is focused on Supporting Balanced Leadership. Her proprietary methods specifically address women’s obstacles and she leads from experience, having survived in business in a highly competitive male-dominated environment.
She is a respected speaker and mentor and is the author of the book “Happy Woman Happy World How to Go From Overwhelmed to Awesome”, a book that corporate trainer and best-selling author Brian Tracy calls “a handbook for every woman who wants health, success and a fulfilling career.”
