Doing Things Right
11.08.08
Lately I feel like I’ve just been doing things the right way…. I had to move my office last weekend and realizing that moving is always more than it seems I took three days to do it. Afterwards, I thought, ‘wow, that was smart Jessica, you took your time and you didn’t really even know it’. Everything got done and nothing was sacrificed.
Realization #2 of doing things right quickly followed. Wednesday was my last night of class for Trauma and the Body. Between Sunday and Wednesday I had to give two session, write two papers and complete a comprehensive take home final. Again, I found myself working it in when I could and never rushing. I was thoughtful with my assignments and never stressed. Didn’t realize I had done this until Wednesday at 1pm when I was done with everything and off to the gym for a workout. Job well done, again.
Granted I was a little shy on sleep but the fact that my days were not filled with hectic, rushed energy made all the difference. Never in my life have I taken extra time for extra things. I’ve always taken on too much and managed to get it done. Being an overachiever at heart I always put 150% into everything but not necessarily taken extra time to manage the increase load. So I’ve been trying to track this new found ‘doing things right’ pattern and I think I’ve figured it out.
It was Ironman. Training for Ironman, running a business, working a 2nd job while balancing life as a wife and dog-mom taught me how to let things go. It taught me to say ‘no’ more often and limit what I was able to take on. I learned that if everything didn’t get done, all the secondary things, that life would go on. I’d still be a good person and a happier one for it if the house went one more day without a vaccumm. At the same time, Ironman training was so completely all consuming that really I had no choice but to learn these new lessons.
I like this change and I hope it sticks. I’m a type A and will continue to manage a full schedule but I don’t need to take on too much. I don’t like that rushed, hectic feeling so I think I will continue to do things right and let the other things go.