In Part I, I brought my much ignored readers up to speed on where the issues began. I felt like things were out of balance and I needed to reevaluate. Here are the results:
My Priorities:
Sleep - I like about 8 hours. I can do with less, but my day goes better with 8.
Food - Specifically healthy and flavorful food. It's part of my interest in feeling fit and healthy, but I also enjoy healthy food more. Granted, what I mean by that is yummy yummy vegetables, and not whole grain pasta (I still cannot get on that wagon) and tabbouleh every day. The beautiful pasta machine given to me last year is getting a workout. And when I am super busy at work, I eat frozen leftovers from The Hot Chick's Kitchen. They are much healthier than processed food, very tasty, and much appreciated in stressful times.
Fitness - Besides eating healthy foods and taking care of oneself when sick, I find fitness requires exercise. I don't get enough in my normal day and I really like to feel fit. Unfortunately, when I'm having a time crunch, sleep often trumps exercise.
Friends - It's no secret that I enjoy spending time with friends (this includes family, who are friends), though my close friends also know that I need time to myself (there will be a future post on this). I like to hear what people are up to and tell them my own stories as well. To share time for attention and appreciation and connection is very restorative for me.
Creating - Sometimes this is on a big scale, like putting a bathroom in the basement, but most of the time, this is baking gluten-free cookies for my aunt or inventing a soup for dinner.
Writing/Reading (as a subset of creating) - I'm a word craftsman by nature. I enjoy putting together a well-fashioned sentence/paragraph/letter/blogpost. I haven't written much lately, but I think about it a lot. Reinvigorating this blog is part of that effort.
Order - At times, I have perfectionist tendencies (sure, go ahead, laugh) but this does not translate into a drive to do housekeeping or yardwork. In fact, just yesterday, I got a notice about my grass being too long. (I cut it on Monday. The time lag on the notice is apparently a week.) However, I like having things relatively clean and orderly. It bothers me when things get too disorderly for too long. Unfortunately, I don't like the work involved in accomplishing that order.
Tomorrow, Part III, in which I reveal what the solutions are...
4 comments:
What I like in this post is the fitness item. You are pure honesty writing that when you are having a time crunch, sleep often trumps exercise. I also live in Denver and I do not exercise regularly. It was my wife who persuaded me to enroll for a fitness program in one of the best fitness centers in Glendale. Next week, I will start attending my fitness classes. It is going to be a three-day per week schedule at the fitness center.
Welcome, Gian. :)
I think you'll find going to a fitness program regularly to be satisfying. Before I was laid off last year, I went to a gym 3 times a week and really enjoyed it.
And it took me a long time to admit to the prioritization sleep has for me. Modern life practically requires sleep deprivation to fit everything in, but I really do a lot better if I prioritize it.
You are right, Anne. I started my fitness classes already and I enjoyed doing it. My priority now is to sleep at least eight hours every night.
So glad to hear it! My life has gotten a little crazier since I wrote this (life, visitors, and vacation), but even if I miss a day or two, I'm trying to keep in mind that if I wake up early enough, it shouldn't be a question. And getting to bed on time shouldn't be a question either. I'll get back on track, but in the meantime, when I can is better than giving up.
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