NaPodPoMo Day 20: Radical Tenacity Meets Radical Self-care

Welcome to the RadicalRx Show, where we explore radical strategies for living, learning and thriving in this beautiful, messy world. I'm Ellen K. Martin, and today I want to talk about something very real and raw. Showing up for your commitments when you're not feeling your best, but doing it in a way that doesn't sacrifice your well being. Let's explore what happens when radical tenacity meets radical self care. How do we find the balance?

Here's the thing. I made a commitment to do 30 days of podcast posts, and I intend to honor that. In fact, Today is day 20 of NaPodPoMo, National Podcast Post Month, and it's my 20th day of recording an episode, or at least some kind of little snippet. That means I'm two thirds of the way through. So today, though, I feel drained. I have a headache. And you know what?

I just don't wanna. I don't want to do it. But here I am. That is where radical tenacity comes in. The bold, gritty determination to follow through even when it's uncomfortable. But here's the twist. Tenacity alone can't carry us if we're not careful. Without balance, it can lead to burnout or even harm. That is where radical self care steps in. Self care doesn't mean giving up. It means finding a sustainable way to honor your commitments and yourself.

So how do radical tenacity and radical self care work together? In moments like this, I think of tenacity as the little spark that gets me started. It's that push that says, come on, Ellen, you made a promise and you can do this. But then self care comes and reminds me, yes, you can do this, but let's be smart about how. For me, that means recording this episode without overthinking or over prepping.

It means keeping things simple so I can get to bed early and let my body recover. It means that I let AI do the heavy lifting to write the script. And I mostly just read it, adding in a bit of my own stuff as I read off the teleprompter. Actually, I'm adding a lot of my own stuff and I'm like, kind of enjoying this way of doing it.

So anyway, tenacity doesn't have to mean pushing so hard that you forget to take care of yourself. And you admit it, you probably have done that on more than one occasion. Tenacity is about being intentional, knowing when to push and when to pull back. Let's talk about applying this balance to your life. Think about your own commitments, whether it's a goal you're chasing, a promise you've made or a challenge you've taken on.

How can you bring tenacity and self care into harmony? Maybe it's scaling back your effort for a day or so so that you can keep showing up tomorrow. Or maybe it's acknowledging that the rest is part of the process. Rest is not failure. Radical tenacity isn't about being perfect or relentless all the time. It's about showing up in a way that honors both your purpose and your well being.

And radical self care isn't about giving yourself an easy out. It is about making sure you're still standing strong at the finish line. So here I am, headache and all, recording this episode. It's not perfect, but it's real. And isn't that the point? Sometimes we need a little tenacity and sometimes we need a little more self care. The key is knowing which one you need in the moment and giving yourself grace to embrace both.

Thanks for joining me on this journey. Take care and until next time, don't forget to breathe.