Maybe This Is My Season of Undoing, Not Doing More

Because apparently, even resting feels like something I need to accomplish.

I’ve spent so much of my life trying to keep up.

Keep up with work.
Keep up with responsibilities.
Keep up with my creative projects.
Keep up with everyone else’s expectations.

And somewhere along the way, I think I forgot how to just… exist.

Without feeling guilty about it.

I recently came across the idea of a season of undoing, inspired by something Allison Lyons shared, and it really stuck with me.

Because what if this chapter of my life isn’t about doing more?

What if it’s about unlearning everything that convinced me I wasn’t doing enough in the first place?

The World Doesn’t Exactly Come With a Pause Button

Working in retail has taught me that there’s always something that needs your attention.

Another customer. Another task. Another thing to fix, clean, organize, or restock.

It’s go, go, go.

And when I finally get home, you’d think my brain would understand that we’re officially off the clock.

Nope.

Apparently, my brain didn’t get that memo.

Instead, I’m thinking about everything I still need to do. My websites, my writing, my art, my projects, and the approximately 57 ideas floating around in my head.

I love being creative. I love having things I’m passionate about.

But sometimes even the things we love become another source of pressure when we convince ourselves we have to constantly accomplish something.

Maybe I Don’t Need Another Self-Improvement Project

Here’s something I’m slowly realizing at 30:

Not every season of life needs to be about becoming a better version of yourself.

Sometimes you just need to be a person.

A tired person.

A person who’s trying.

A person who occasionally wants to sit on the couch without turning that moment into a lesson about productivity.

We’re constantly told to grow, improve, achieve, build, and push ourselves outside our comfort zones.

But what about the seasons when we’re exhausted?

When we’re overwhelmed?

When we’re doing our best-ish, and that best looks a little different every day?

Maybe those seasons deserve just as much respect.

I’m Learning to Undo the Pressure

I’m not suddenly becoming someone who has mastered slowing down.

Far from it.

I still overthink. I still feel guilty when I’m not productive. I still have days when I convince myself I should be doing more.

But I’m trying to make room for something different.

I’m trying to unlearn the idea that rest needs to be earned.

That being busy means being successful.

That slowing down means falling behind.

And that I have to have everything figured out before I’m allowed to enjoy where I am.

Maybe my season of undoing is really about letting go of those expectations, little by little.

Not quitting.

Not giving up.

Just learning that I don’t have to run myself into the ground to prove I’m trying.

A Little 3 AM Thought

Maybe we don’t always need a fresh start, a new goal, or another plan to fix our lives.

Maybe sometimes we just need permission to stop treating ourselves like unfinished projects.

I’m still figuring out how to slow down in a world that never seems to stop moving.

And maybe that’s okay.

Because sometimes growth isn’t about adding more to our lives.

Sometimes it’s about finally letting something go.

And right now?

I’m learning that doing my best-ish also means knowing when I’ve done enough.

What about you? Are you in a season of growing, surviving, or maybe undoing a few things yourself?

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This reflection was adapted from my longer post on The Abby Juli Journal:

The Season of Undoing: Learning to Slow Down in a World That Never Stops

More messy thoughts, gentle reminders, and figuring-out-life moments at AbbyJuli.com.