I sit here in the closing hours of a week off from the day job. I’ve shared with you before about the (unnecessary) pressure that I put on myself to make the days off count… Of all the chunks of time off from the day job, I feel like I was better to myself over the past 9 days than I typically am—looks like all that personal development actually works. I’m mentally beating myself up too much over what did and didn’t get done this week.
I’m a quantifier by nature. I’m the one who keeps score, who keeps copious notes, who has the memory and the records of it all. So here’s a run-down of what I made happen over the past week-plus:
- babysat our friends’ daughter for 3 days
- completed the last course for my +75 (75 graduate credits above my Master’s degree)
- co-hosted a LuLa Roe and Young Living party
- various doctor and spa appointments (self-care is super important!)
- volunteer time and community outreach daily for Rescue
- hosted a business dinner (and ate everything on the menu from 3 Brothers)
- went to my favorite yoga class
- reconnected with a friend (Love you S)
- spent time with the uncles
- hosted a wellness talk
- had a private reading with the amazing Calise Simone (I highly recommend her!)
- finished reading 2 books
- watched 2 seasons of “Schitt’s Creek”
And yet I sit here with the anxiety of “going back” tomorrow. And before I sat down to write this, all I was thinking about was the messes I didn’t clean up (this desk!) and the things left undone… but holy carrots! Look how much I did do in the span of one week plus the bookends of weekends! I’m not sharing this with you to brag about how much I did but as a reminder for you to shift your focus (if you need to) and recognize the good. Celebrate the tasks accomplished. Luxuriate in the moments, hours and days (if you’re lucky) of relaxation. Appreciate what you can do rather than bombard yourself with what’s left undone. Yes, I might be talking to myself more today than I’m talking to you but writing this is often as cathartic as it is instructive.
I need to recognize the breadth and depth of the list above. I’m in awe—I legitimately felt like maybe I didn’t do enough to make it count this past week. So, when you’re beating yourself up, grab your notebook and engage in a retrospective. Make an I Did It list, rather than a Things To Do list. Celebrate. Recognize. Give yourself a break or a pat on the back or both. Reality is, there will always be “things” left undone. When we are “done,” then there’s really nothing left. So, while I’d love to get this desk cleaned off today, I promise to give myself a break and appreciate all the accomplishments, in and out, of the past few days. The days will tick by, regardless of my action or inaction. Like Calise told me yesterday, I must “create space, calm and structure.”
Much Love.