Thursday Thoughts: Letting Go of Outcomes

Inspiration, Motivation, Success Strategies for Women Entrepreneurs, Females, Small Business Owners

At a literal fork in the road, I had to make a decision which thoroughfare I’d travel on another gorgeous warm, sunny Syracuse October morning. The weather has been atypical, most likely due to global warming, but putting my future grandchildren’s environment aside, I truly adore this autumn weather.

Today instead of thinking about the number of miles I would pedal, how many calories I’d burn, or choosing an even longer trek than the last one, I let outcomes fall to the side and chose biking the flatter trail right next to the glimmering lakeside with the full sun on my face. I wanted to see the water. I told myself I’d bike until I wasn’t “happy” anymore. There were no time limits. The hell with fitness outcomes.

As the rock and roll music playing in my ear pods took me rhythmically on my way, each pedal push, stride, downhill speed, and uphill tests of thigh muscle strength added to the experience.  Smiling with bugs bumping into my legs once in a while, nodding to fellow bikers, and zigging my way around restored lakeside grasslands where flowers and weeds still blooming so I rejoiced in my decision. That’s when it hit me, the thought that I shouldn’t always care about the exercise outcomes of my ride but the pure enjoyment of it instead.

Have you too thought about caring less about outcomes – like giving up calorie counting for the day or not weighing yourself methodically? How about just eating what tastes good? For many women entrepreneurs, reviewing our daily, monthly and quarterly income figures is enough to make us self-critical about monetary and work outputs. Could we use a break from always knowing and checking, wishing, hoping, and criticizing? How about measuring our worth by how we feel about running our companies some of the time instead?

I think it is time for women to stop self-blaming and living their lives with limits, outcomes, restrictions, and expectations in every area of their lives. Take it from me as I shouted, “Wee” just happy with the sun on my bald head, clean wind in my face, fluttering butterflies whizzing past my eyes, and happiness oozing out of every pore because I choose the road, I wanted to take this morning – the sunny, water view one – not the most challenging or longest one to hit more fitness outcomes. Sometimes we really need to care less, and enjoy more.