I would like to preface this addition to my exploration of managing time & energy by saying that I have been working on this type of thing for a long time. Not this way, perhaps, and not nearly to the same effect, but that’s kinda my point. For some people they pick this stuff up and never look back. Me? I need to revisit my lessons repeatedly before they get through the thickness of my skull. That being said, on with the blog…
Periodically I like to (pretend to) get organized. I list out all the things I want to do in day-to-day living and then I look at how they will possibly fit into the actual time available.
Then my shoulder hunches, my eyelid twitches and weird sounds echo from my mouth. Because I end up with a combination of overwhelming and impossible. Cue mental meltdown and failure of whole plan.
Being me, I started doing the same thing this New Year’s. Did I mention I need repeated lessons on things?
But this time, this time I stopped.
I was already feeling anxious and twitchy just by trying to make the list. It isn’t possible to live the life I want in the time I want.
Not in the way I was thinking about it anyway.
Time to simplify! Ah, the joys of simplification.
So instead of squeezing things in and giving everything its time, I realized that my workday evenings generally go in three stages. On any given day what happens in a particular stage is likely to be different, but the stages are the same.
Already my shoulder was coming out of its quasimoto state.
Stage one: Practicality.
Upon achieving the blissful state of “thank gods I’m home”, or even in the semi-blissful state of “I’m headed home”, that is the time for me to do the practical things. If I put them off until later, they will likely never get done (boy have I proven that more times than I care to think of or am capable of remembering!).
So I get home (or on the way home do errands) and cook, eat, tidy, clean, answer email, deal with whatever practical crap needs to get dealt with. Only for an hour, hour and a half max. And then it’s done! Cue happy relaxation music.
Stage two: Physicality
Ah, the joys of my life. Physio is here to stay. Every day is physio, either short or extended depending on what other physical things might happen that day (still in swimming lessons so on those days, much less physio and longer time in this stage). But it’s a do what my body needs time and one of the highest importance things in my world given what happens if I don’t do it.
Eye twitch starts to disappear as I see how this can be easily and practically applied.
I have a hard time bringing myself to focus hard enough to actually, you know, buckle down and create some form of schedule for myself. And I really should. It would do me (and my son) wonders. Instead, I’m kind of like, “WEE! Shiny!” And thus I have explained my life, almost exactly, to date.
I hope that you are able to see this through.
Thank you. I came here because I am lost in the rags and rages of politics, knee deep in disorganization, and know that the only place to find solace is amongst peoples whose conscience first and foremost says ‘do no harm.’
I am a student of 12 step too. This morning I heard one man say, make your goals reasonably small so that each one you achieve gives you joy, not guilt. It occurred to me then that I can begin being joyful for the things I do, and not beat myself up for the things I didn’t get to.
I felt the need to share this.