Scheduling My Life

This is a post I wrote last Tuesday when I decided to take a day off.


How often do you feel overwhelmed by your to-do list?

I've found recently that I haven't had the same amount of free time to just sit and be as I used to.

Don't get me wrong, I'm really thankful for the full life I have, it's just that in the midst of all the things I've scheduled I seem to have lost some of myself.

My two days off are packed full of things I have chosen to do that have served me very well.

These are things like working out, going to my WW meeting, running errands, cooking meals ahead of time, doing school parties and activities, family get togethers etc.

But for a natural introvert not having down time is like loss of breath and loss of life.

As I sat back and thought about all the things I do, and all the things I planned on doing, I tried to figure out where to fit in that "alone time just for me".

What I found is that there really isn't any spot to fit it in.

But what I decided is that I would make the time anyway.

I will intentionally schedule my life and make time for myself.

It may not be consistent.

It may be something that only happens once a month but I will schedule it.

Today is one of those days I intentionally scheduled.

Admittedly, I initially felt a little bit guilty skipping my WW meeting and my workout and all my many errands but I'm so happy I did.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you should routinely skip those things but I am saying sometimes it's okay, especially if it's to carve out one small moment for yourself.

I discussed this with my husband before I took this day off and he was wholeheartedly behind me.

He recognized that I haven't had time and that I'm not as much my true self without it and that's the person he fell in love with.

Today I listened to the talk I've been meaning to listen to for the past month while cooking(something I love to do).

I made up my own recipe on a whim(It's in the oven now and I'll share this with you later if it's any good).

I'm planning on quiet time for prayer and meditation and of course for one of my greatest passions, reading.

If the weather were a bit cooler now I'd be camped out in my back yard on a blanket watching the deer and squirrel, listening to the rustle of leaves on the forest floor as they play, staring at blue sky and just generally luxuriating in nature.

I remember when I was in my twenties occasionally dressing up and going to Barnes & Noble to buy a coffee(usually with spare change) and to just sit and read.  It cost virtually nothing and yet it made me feel so amazingly lavish.  It was just a day to pretend I had all the money and all the time in the world to just sit and enjoy the moment.

Sometimes it's the littlest things that feel the biggest.

There is no wrong way to spend your special time but it's so important that you do it.

The truth of the matter is you can't give from an empty cup.

I think we all get so busy giving to everyone else without thought of replenishing ourselves from within and yet we're somehow surprised when burn out shows it's ugly head at our doorstep.

What we have to understand is that we have to make the time.

And, it's not selfish in the traditional sense to do so.

There's nothing noble about this sort of self flagellation.  

Honoring your body temple and your spirit is smart.

It's necessary

And it's utterly fantastic.

Making time to remember and be who we were made to be is a beautiful thing.

And, once you have filled yourself back up the gift you can give others is beyond compare to what you otherwise would have been able to give.

That gift is the genuine gift of your heart and it is a blessing to all those who come in contact with you.