This Week on "Workaholics"...

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May you find your flow in 2025!

First of all, I don't think you're going to like my 1 month challenge that changed my life.

It takes commitment, stop making excuses for yourself and changing your routines.

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The challenge is based on 75 days hard. For the ones that are on Tik Tok, they know :-). You can click the link if you want to find out more.

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Last year during the Christmas holidays, I looked at myself in the mirror and almost did not recognize myself. Tired, low on energy and a body I did not feel comfortable in.

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And yes, I had all the excuses. A business with 25 people, 2 young kids (3.5 and 1.5 years), a renovation etc. However, looking at myself in the mirror at that time, those excuses did not make me happy. These excuses were limiting me to getting where I wanted to be, to being who I wanted to be. I was not doing myself any favours at all.

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So, I made a promise to myself in that moment: I'm putting my mental and physical health first.

Quote of the week

First of all stop saying you don't have time​
​It's literally bullshit. You're making excuses for yourself and I'm sure you believe them.
If you think you don't have time to prioritize yourself, do this:

• Stop scrolling on your phone
• Go to bed earlier, watch one Netflix episode instead of 2
• Delegate: you're not irreplaceable
• Stop putting your time where you don't add more than 75% of value (team meetings, one on one's, ...)
• If you're there be there. Stop multitasking, focus and finish your (work) tasks, playing with the kids, doing the laundry. Way more efficient than doing multiple stuff half ass

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Waste your time on things that will help your (mental) health

We like to waste our time and our attention. To things that do not add value to our lives. We often do it because we're stressed, are bored, have anxiety. First of all, it is OK to be bored, we don't need to fill in every moment, it is when we are bored we get the best ideas. Anxiety and stress comes often from the habits we have.

• Plan your time
• Keep the promise to your (past and future) self
• If you're having a difficult moment, remember: Doing something is better than nothing
• It's easier to do something every day, than 3 times a week. With 3 times a week, you're constantly negotiating with yourself and give room to excuses: I'll do it tomorrow, because today I'm tired​
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My daily rules

I started mid January last year, most of them I still do on a daily basis. You need 30-60 days to build a habit.

• 45 movement (walking, running, strength...)
• 15 min Non fiction reading (instead of scrolling on my phone during breakfast)
• 15 min fiction reading at night (again instead of scrolling on my phone in bed)
• Going to bed at 22.00 instead of 23.00 (One episode less on Netflix) and getting up around 6.30. To work out before the school rush.
• I'll plan my social and professional activities better than before. A maximum of 2 nights / week.
• Breathing exercise before going to bed
• 1 evening per week alcohol. No alcohol anymore at professional events, lunch with friends... This one proofs to be more difficult to keep up during holidays and summer. I love champagne. So if I drink, I'll have champagne, but afterwards no wine anymore.

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Those are my daily rules and can be perfectly tailored to anyone's personal situation. (I like reading, but someone else can like learning a new skill / hobby / music / sport etc).
As you can see, I switched things that gave me anxiety or did not add any value with others. I did not "create" extra time.

The change in energy, vision and commitment has been crazy. This gives me more drive and focus as well in my professional and personal ambitions. I'm in a better mood (and more patient) with my kids and family. The challenge did not only change my life, but also saved it in many ways.