Ha! I was reviewing my post from 2 weeks ago where I opened with a description of how gorgeous the weather is. Today is absolutely non-gorgeous. It’s blustery, cold, and it may actually freaking snow. On a brighter note, that means I’m inside at my computer writing to you instead of outside on my deck finishing The Initiate Brother.
Now on to my point.
My point today, is that my point in these newsletters is often the same. I am usually having some revelation or another, making adjustments, and then eventually getting myself back into the same situation I thought I had just got myself out of.
How many times do I have to go through this cycle of epiphany and then confusion, ad nauseum?? And the answer is, as many times as it takes.
Because each cycle is different.
With each cycle, I’m in a different head space and heart space; I’m at a different level of consciousness. I’ve learned something, even if it’s the littlest smidge of a thing.
As we move up the spiral of consciousness, each time we revisit the SAME OL’ SH!T, it’s from a slightly shifted vantage point. We can see things we didn’t see a year, month, even a week ago. We have to be ready to see it; we can’t comprehend it a minute before we’re ready.
I’ve been thinking about this vis a vis To Do lists. I have many of them. For my personal life I have a Master To Do list, and a daily To Do list, and my office is papered in yellow post-its for the REALLY IMPORTANT, MUST NOT FORGET THIS THING items. And then when it comes to work, I have lists in Microsoft To Do, lists in my calendar, lists in my notebook, and a lovely assortment of work-related post-its. One could make a full-time job out of organizing To Do lists.
Every once in awhile I will have that epiphany – the To Do list will NEVER be done. The To Dos you accomplish have a way of creating more To Dos, and then those To Do’s get it on and have even MORE To Dos. And eventually you are swimming in generations of To Do’s.
What to do about this To Do situation? Here is what I think the answer is, from my current level of consciousness:
#1 – Figure out how to enjoy life while having an unfinished To Do list. I often think, “When my list is done, THEN I can relax.” But when I truly comprehend that it’s a river that never stops, then I can slow down, tell myself there is no need to rush through this To Do because there is just another one right behind it. Might as well appreciate what you can appreciate about the process, and don’t forget to BREATHE while you’re getting sh!t done!
#2 – Focus on Quality over Quantity. When I rush through my To Dos, I often find that I cut corners. In the speed of the moment, sympathetic drive takes over, my vision narrows, and I lose the peripheral perspective. I make silly mistakes, causing myself more work down the line. Measure twice, cut once!
#3 – Just do one thing. This is something I tell myself over and over again. My default mode is to do 3-4 things simultaneously – listen to a podcast while doing the dishes while cooking (aka burning) breakfast on the stove, while also randomly putting items back in the cupboard as I switch between the soapy dishes and the frying bacon. Lately I’ve started writing MY ONE THING on a sticky note and putting it on my desk. I set my Time Timer for 25 minutes and work on that one thing. No responding to emails or IMs or Huehue’s insistent impatient huffing. Whew – there is so much peace when I can do that!
Again, none of this information is new or earth-shattering. It all, as always, boils down to a few well known axioms: Be here now, stop and smell the roses, let go of what you can’t control, etc. But I repeat it because when you last heard those axioms, you were a different person than who you are right now, so maybe, just maybe, the April 16, 2023 iteration of You needs to hear it again!
Space to be Human Lab – Helping you heal so you can get back to doing what you love
If you like the idea of getting some space from your thoughts, and deep relief and support for your frayed nervous system, I invite you to book a CranioSacral session. April is CraniosSacral Therapy Awareness Month, so I am offering 75 minute sessions for $80 (a discount of $20). Book a 75 minute session and use code “CRANIO.” If you are a new client, you can book here.
Quad City Health & Wellness Professionals Mixer
If you are a health and wellness professional and you would like to connect with other like-minded peeps, please join us at the monthly QCHWP Mixer on April 24th from 5PM-7PM. You can find more info here, and you can register here.
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When Your To Do’s Have Babies
