The impacts of being a Go Getter

People call me a hustle, a powerhouse, a boot straper, or an energizer bunny.   I am energetic, determined and an achiever.  

Is this you?   Most of the time, some of the time, before caregiving or something you're striving for?

One of the results of my quiz called “What’s your caregiver style?” is The Go-Getter.  

Qualities of a Go-Getter

Go-Getters are active, flexible people who put a great deal of passion and energy into juggling it all and being an effective caregiver.  Your ability to adapt and willingly jump in with a positive attitude and enthusiasm provides comfort to your Loved One.   

You pride yourself in staying motivated and ambitious with your high levels of organization and multitasking.  Your mottos are "get it done" or "I'll figure it out". 

Can you relate?   These qualities may be innate or experiences you been taught.  

 Go-Getters are: 

 Disciplined   You manage your time well and will use every bit of it.  You understand the importance of your Loved One's care and balancing your job, passions, goals and other essential responsibilities.   

You might find yourself using a planner or a scheduler.  

Celebrating  small achievements  You don’t focus on magical celebration at the end of the road. You celebrate your small successes each day and practice gratitude.

Gratitude journaling and checking off the boxes make you feel good.

Passionate  You realize the importance of your Loved One's relationship and care.  Go-Getters are passionate about what they do and are excited to work on many things they care about.

You may find yourself pursuing your passions right along side of caregiving.

Finding Support  You empower family and a team together to get the best possible care for your Loved One.   You surround yourself with like-minded, ambitious people. You realize the importance of choosing friends and community that are positive and authentic.

Courageous   There is no space on your mind for fear and doubt. You experience fear just like everyone else, but you're not afraid to tackle new challenges, ask questions and find help. 

Not afraid to ask for help, call for help or just try it and make mistakes until it works. 

Persistent  Quitting is never an option for you when it comes to your Loved One and your own passions and goals.  Even on days when motivation runs low, you put your head down and get your hands dirty. 

This is where the determination kicks in

Not afraid to make mistakes  You don't fear making mistakes or trying new things.  You see everything as learning opportunities.  

What are the impacts of Go-Getting?  

A Go-Getter can be a good and a bad thing.   It's good because you're a high achiever with the right intentions.   You're driving for the best care for your Loved One as well as pursuing your passions and goals.  But it can also be a bad thing because your go-getter mentality gets in the way by.  

• You put a lot of pressure on yourself to be perfect which can cause high levels of anxiety.     
• You can work so hard that you forget to live your life and have fun. 
• You rarely take breaks or time off which can sacrifice your well-being. 
• You're frustrated or disappointed over your Loved Ones' deteriorating condition or lack of progress.  It can be hard to accept that the quality of care and effort have nothing to do with the actual health-related decline or mood of your Loved One. 
• You struggle and sometimes are angry with others who don't have the Go-Getter mentality.   

It's important you recognize and watch for these signs of Caregiver Stress. If you are a Go-Getter

 These are the first signs that you're not getting the physical and emotional support you need.  

• becoming irritated or angry
• feeling overwhelmed or constantly worried
• noticing health issues like high blood pressure, heart palpitations, headaches, body pain or more
• difficulty sleeping
• trouble concentrating

I have Go-Getter Tendencies and have learned to shift from Go-Getter to Go-Giver!

I'm hyper-focused on my schedule and staying organized.  Each Sunday I plan out my week so that I can be an effective caregiver, work my job and business and find time for the essentials of home.  

Ultimately, being a Go-Getter tipped my stress level to an unhealthy level.  (Gained weight, stomach issues, depression and more)  As much as I took pride in getting it done, I was stretched and overcommitted.    

So that's why I shifted my thinking from a Go-Getter to a Go-Giver.  

As a Go-Getter, I wanted to be the best at everything, but as a Go-Giver, I want to be the best to myself first.  There's a lot less pressure and a lot more joy. It starts with:

• thinking like a manager and asking for help and figuring out ways to do it all smarter.
• finding a team and working together  
• being open to not being perfect
• being ok with letting the small or less important things fall
• appreciating the joy in your new normal
• sitting down and spending time with your Loved One vs always "doing"

 It starts with awareness first 

1.   take the quiz at https://www.cathylvan.com/quiz

2.  Listen to episode 21  and go through the 3 stages of Caregiver Overwhelm.  

Once you have the awareness you can then start working on reducing your caregiver stress and finding healthy boundaries.