My lesson for this week is that I need to do a better job at stepping back from the day to day.
I genuinely feel exhausted. I desperately want to make things better, but the constant need to justify why it matters takes a toll. I need to constantly remind myself that I can't control everything. I especially cannot control what others do and their attitudes.
I have no control over:
- their willingness to listen or act
- their pace of change
- their assumptions about accessibility
- their priorities
I can however control my own efforts and how I respond to setbacks. I have full control over my time, although most of the time it feels like I don't. I need to learn to set boundaries, mental boundaries, that help me let some things through and block most of everything else. That's maybe the only way I can avoid burnout.
It's hard and an ongoing struggle.
But stepping back doesn't mean giving up. It means protecting my energy so I can keep making a difference without losing myself in frustration.
Progress is slow, but it is progress. And that's enough. Not everyone will be on board either. And that's okay.