PSLs might be back at Starbucks, but rather than rushing into autumn - with its big bursts of energy and productivity - I’ve learned there’s something magical about holding onto the slow pace of summer (and the easy beach hair!) as long as I can.
Like last year when Dylan and I spent the month in Greece, hanging out at the beach and sipping fruity drinks until the end of September, totally ignoring the fact that we’d need to put winter coats on over our shorts as soon as we landed home in Colorado.
And this year, when I loyally make my way to the farmers’ market each week, insisting to Ben that the peaches coming straight from the local Pennsylvania countryside are indeed just as sweet as they were back in July.
I think it all started when I learned about fiu.
Fiu is an amazing cultural phenomenon that we discovered in Bora Bora.
Basically, it’s the feeling of being totally unmotivated, with an underlying longing to just relax and get away from it all.
And while the feeling is universal, what makes fiu so original is how they use it.
We’re talking
shops closed in the middle of the day in high tourist season
road construction sites sitting empty with lonely looking machinery
breakfast cafes that finally open at noon
… all with nothing more in the way of notice than a sign that says “Closed for fiu”!
(And sometimes, not even that.)
You can read more about fiu (and how to move past it) in this blog from a few years ago.
But it makes me wonder…
What would it be like if that feeling were considered a normal thing that should be acted upon immediately?
And that when you did, you knew your customers or boss or family would just shrug and be like, “Yeah, I get it.”
If we didn’t make a lack of motivation or action mean anything about us?
Zero guilt. No self-recrimination.
As I’ve started playing with this more (not easy for this girl), I’ve been finding that it’s best to try not to move past fiu too quickly because really great things can happen when you do step away.
(It all depends on what preceded the fiu.)
Last year, that month in Greece brought me a huge jump in business revenue.
And this year, in the midst of moving, while my attention was more focused on keeping Dylan from destroying our hotel room than it was on generating business…
Google miraculously decided I belonged on the front page of search results for “female business coach,” and I’ve been blessed with a steady stream of inquiries and clients who are definitely in action mode.
So if you’ve been beating yourself up over taking a break, maybe it’s time to imagine you’re just feeling fiu … and that’s ok, and there might be something great waiting on the other side.
Here’s to a great late-summer weekend,
Jenna
P.S. If you’re thinking, “But Jenna, my problem is that I can’t even get started!” or if you’re really ready to move past the fiu but just can’t seem to do it, I’ve got you. Read this and look out for my next email :)