One More Thing To Do

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.   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 excite themselves up and leave with just a few minutes to spare.   They are at the bus stop with a few minutes to spare.

Is it 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, and 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 breath and said two things to myself:  “you may be there someday 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 four 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.

Your Thoughts
Do you rush around all the time?    Are you able to enjoy what you are doing?

Women’s Group Topics
Women juggle many different roles in their lives.   The majority of household and childcare falls on their shoulders, as well as they are working and bringing in money.   So there is always one more thing, and a woman needs to be diligent in nurturing themselves and letting go of one more thing.   How do you each do this?   If you don’t know how to do it, can you support each other and help each person start in a small way to slow down and relax.

Be well,

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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Feel Let Down After The Holidays?
Playing The Victim?

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