Busy.

This is a great article about 'busyness'. It talks about the 'tyranny of the to-do' list, and I must admit, this strikes pretty close to home in my world.

Allowing time for self reflection is so important in trying to remain spiritually connected to your self.   I do struggle with managing myself, my time, our family, my work, sports for the kids, doctors appointments and other people I have to meet with, in other words, a lot of priorities.  Sometimes I write lists just to recognize how many things I am accomplishing in a day, especially for those days where it feels like all I was doing was effectively spinning my wheels.

I like the idea of bringing back play, even in our adult lives.  I have also taken to small moments to stretch.  Last year when I was jogging I will admit I was terrible for just getting out there and plodding on the pavement, or trail.  I didn't really stretch, and my idea of stretching out after was plunking my ass on the couch with a glass of cold water. I want to start jogging or walking again on the weekends, but I have come to realize I need to build in that stretching time. After starting to build in some stretches to my daily routines, I have come to realize just how "tight" I have become.  The last few years have been quite frenetic and overwhelming at times.  It also feels like one cycle is slowly drawing to a completion and I am moving in to the next cycle.  Things are ending, and new things are beginning and it is exciting to be in this transition stage.

The stretches are just as important as things like keeping up with this blog (even if it is normally just posts about the books I am reading), knitting (I am working on a birthday gift for someone), obviously reading, and then my lunchtime walks at work.  I would really love to get in a walk a weekend, and then to also work in some hatha yoga too.  To see some friends here and there, and to spend more quality time with Ken, and not always with our kids.

The busy is crazy though.

From the article: "So, as much as I wouldn’t wish overwhelm on anyone, I actually see it as a positive thing. For too long, work-life issues were always seen as “women’s issues.” When they’ve really always been about both good work and raising the next generation. What we all need to be talking about is redefining work to be mission-driven and flexible, rather than rewarding long hours of face time. The former enables not only everyone to have time for living an authentic life as well as being a more productive, engaged and efficient worker. The latter just leads to more inequity and burn out.".

I think this is something that I will try to keep in mind.  Being flexible, being more mission driven and to accomplish tasks rather than just grinding parts of it out.

I also think it is important to bring back some play, and I think I would like to seize the little joys more, and to try to do something that scares me a little as often as I can to stretch myself in different ways too.