Commitment

As you can see I managed to miss my commitment to write a blog post on the 26th!

Why?

Because I'm over-committed!

Who did that?

ME!

Why?

Because I don't pay enough attention to how many hours are in a day and how many days are in a week and how many things I've said I will do for others (as well as commitments to myself!).

This is the season, especially, to over-commit ourselves and then make ourselves crazy-mean (teeth clenched when one more person says, "Did you wash underwear today?" They're lucky to have dirty underwear! Keep up with the questions and I'll not only give them a perfect example of passive-aggressive behavior, but an up front seat of their underwear burning on the front lawn....

Oopsies...

Are you paying attention?

Did you over-commit yourself too? I took a good look at myself today when I realized that I'd missed this blog YESTERDAY! Really?, Yesterday? Yup, 'fraid so.

I stopped. Thought. And realized that over-commitment is an overpowering thing that many of us do. My goal for the new year is to stop that! I'll be armed with a calendar and this time I'm going to use it! And I'm going to be practical on exactly how much time I really have to do things in a day.

Here's a rundown. Compare it to the things you can actually do.

In a day I,
wake up, get dressed, fix food, clean up after food, clean the sandbox we live in (work on it)--this will   require over four hours per day, then I will drive somewhere and do other things at least five times a week--going anywhere will involve no less than three hours, then I will be doing wash, doing bookkeeping chores, talking to loved ones and otherwise be doing things of importance.

How much time can I realistically count on to do things for others? About an hour or two a week--if I remember.

How much time can I realistically count on writing? Time unknown. However, with my new found resolve to watch time. I think I can get a handle on my commitments and start being better about my commitments to myself and my writing.

The New Year is soon. We have a bright and shiny new year, full of hope and possibilities.  Let's all commit to figuring out where our time goes and do we want it to be spent in that manner. Let us be aware of ourselves and each moment spent that can never be retrieved. This doesn't mean that we should give up goofing-off time. Our goof-off time renews us. However, thoughtless unknowing with a side of guilt I wouldn't think would do anyone any good.

See you on the other side--(In 2014 ya goofs!)
I'll be thinking of you!
     


3 comments:

Rox Delaney said...

Sounds familiar, Nina. My days are spent making trips to take or pick up grandkids at school and activities. I've learned to take work with me, so I can get a few things done while waiting. If I were given the gift of a vacation, I wouldn't know what to do with it!

Pat Davids said...

This wasn't my first year with not enough hours in the days to manage all I needed to do over Christmas, but it was one of the roughest.

I had things planned fairly well. I'm a last minute shopper, so it's a given I'll be busy during the final push, but my brother from Montana was flying in to spend two days with me and then he was going to go up to visit my folks.

Long story short, he missed a connecting flight and spent two days in Denver while I waited by the phone in case he got a standby flight only to come up short each time until late the following day.

The snow storm that brought us three inches brought my folks near Abilene 10 inches. Guess where my brother stayed. With me. It was great to visit with him, but my to do list was shot.

Next year, I'm starting my shopping in July.

Joan Vincent said...

I once was the queen of over-commitment. It took a long time and hard lessons, long stays in hospital beds and creeping old age to finally break me of the habit--if one every truly gets past it. Being aware of the issue is a great first step to solving it. Keep that calendar front and center!