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One More Thing To Do

April 25th, 2010 in Health

Does anyone else suffer from this annoying habit “one more thing to do before I leave for the day?”    I’m always rushing for the bus or am a few minutes late meeting someone because I did one more thing.

I’m not sure when or why I started this habit, but probably when the kids were young and there was always one more thing to do.  I remembered when I lived in San Francisco, before kids, I walked to the bus stop in a leisurely fashion with plenty of time to spare.   Actually, life in San Francisco was more relaxing and it’s unfair to compare New York City living to it.

I’ve always treasured my quiet time in the morning.  When the kids were younger I got up early and wrote, did the laundry, exercised, and planned dinner.     I’ve always gone to bed later than I should because I have the “one more thing” to do.

I have friends who leave their houses in plenty of time and relax while traveling to their destination.  They would never hype themselves up and leave with just a few minutes to spare.   They are at the bus stop with a few minutes to spare.  

Is in New York that pumps up everyone’s intensity or is it just me?  I am a bit of a deadline junkie as it focuses my attention and moves me forward in what I need to do.  I feel my restlessness while waiting.  Yesterday I was at the store waiting on line to pay for my groceries.  The man in front of me was moving so slow.   It took him forever to open his satchel, find his wallet and get his card out.   Then he repeated the same slow motion putting it all back.   I was ready to shout at him and then stopped myself, took a deep breathe and said two things to myself:  “you may be there some day and this is the perfect time to learn to relax.”

This game I play with myself is…..silly and stressful.    Why would I want to add additional stress into my life?  The quality of my life is more important that one more thing.   Besides we all know that there are too many things to get done in one day, so one more thing waiting is no big deal.   

I need to create a daily list of my top 3 things to do for the day and then add number 4:

Give myself time to relax when I’m in transitions.  
Leave 5 minutes earlier to catch the bus.

The bus is across the street, but it takes a few minutes to come down from my apartment.  Usually I run down the 4 flights because the elevator is slow.    I can still go down the stairs, but this time I walk down and relax with my body.

This rushing stops me from enjoying what I’m doing.  The life lesson is completion is a good focus to have in life, but not at the expense of being present and enjoying what I am doing.  I’m a believer that starting small is perfect.  I will add a few minutes to my morning ritual of leaving for the bus.  

It’s those small decisions that make a difference in our lives.   Whenever we honor our well-being we provide nurturance for our body and soul.  I’m tired of being silly and playing this game with my health.

What About You?
Do you rush around all the time?    Are you able to enjoy what you are doing?

Pat

“To fully enjoy the ‘richness’ of our lives, we need to stop long enough to visit with ourselves.”
(Pat Brill)

 

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                                                                                       *******************Ways to Relax***********************


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2 Responses to “One More Thing To Do”

  1. Richie Perl Says:
    April 27th, 2010 at 12:15 pm

    Hi, Pat!

    About half the time when I needlessly rush, the thought enters my head, “Notice your breathing!” When that thought enters, then I begin to “chill out.”

    Over the years, fortunately, that thought has entered my mind somewhat more frequently!

    Peace!

  2. Pat Says:
    May 8th, 2010 at 6:39 pm

    Good for your Richie that you have practice enough that you naturally taking care of your self.

    I’m getting a bit better with leaving myself some wiggle room with time. It gives me time to think about breathing.

    Thanks for sharing.
    Pat


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