Now that business has slowed to a more manageable, and some would say sane, pace, I’ve found myself with more time to rest. Not just sleeping more than a few hours at night but throughout the day by being truly present.
Right now for example I can hear the ginger ale fizzing in the can on my desk. It’s quiet, barely a whisper but without a call to attend, audios to review, music blaring, dogs barking and IMs chiming I can hear it clearly.
I do enjoy the fast pace of my life and habits but no longer want that non-stop demanding routine. I don’t want the routine that looks ideal on paper and sketches out every minute of our waking lives down to the minute. Those lists were fun to make when I worked a soul deadening desk job and wasted hours dreaming about being more productive at home.
But living by a list is not really living – it’s just completing tasks like a robot.
Such as right now, I “should” complete this post but instead I need to clean up some broken glass, I want to sort the recycling and turn on the fan. So that’s what I’m going to do.
When I consider my mental to do list of the prints I want to purchase or organization projects to complete, or even see my projects page it’s easy to get overwhelmed. It’s also tempting to get caught in a world of “when” such as ‘when my files are all digital and my office is paperless’ or ‘when I have new floors installed’ or ‘when I can afford new gutters and painting the exterior.’
What happens ‘when’ all of those things are done? Likely I’ve already moved on to the next project in front of me. You see this all the time with bloggers who put a pathway in their garden and then pull it out next year. Who paint a piece of furniture only to later distress it then repaint it, then strip it.
It’s decision ADD and if we are caught in constantly looking for something else to change or do then we’re not present to what is right now.
Right now my guest room has awful, stained carpet. It’s clean but that’s about the only thing good about it. But when I’m on the yoga mat, writing in that room or simply enjoying 5 minutes of silence while sitting on the floor, I’m not thinking about the carpet. I’m not mentally comparing the options for hardwood or the sq footage or the cost. I’m not even mentally emptying the room and thinking of where all the furniture will go during installation.
Yes, I think of those things years ahead of time. Yes, I’m weird.
These patterns leave us spinning and unsatisfied, especially if instead of appreciating my yoga time I’m focusing on the flooring. When I’m installing the flooring I could likely be worrying about the ceiling fan. When replacing the ceiling fan I’ll be thinking ahead about the windows. Stop, appreciate and rest.
So that’s my challenge today for you to stay completely present to the world around you. Appreciate what you have, where you are, what you’re experiencing in this moment.
I didn’t plan on taking pictures of the dogs today but Nixon sat still long enough for me to do just that.
The unscripted times are so much better than any list I could create.
