Sunday, May 12, 2013

Schedule What You Love

What's been filling your calendar lately? When I look at mine, I see pages full of events and activities for everyone and everything...except...me! At the end of the day I'm usually exhausted but still have a desire to do the things I love. Sewing, gardening, cooking, and reading are all things I love to do, but I hate to do them in a rush so I wind up not doing them at all. I'll throw a quick meal together just to get us fed, pile the ironing on my sewing table, and keep Amazon in business by filling my shelves with books I want to read but never crack open. Quite honestly, this can be depressing. The sad thing is, I have an amazing family who would have no problem at all giving me the space and time to do these things. The reality is, the problem is ME! I don't give myself permission to take a few hours in the garden just for the pure enjoyment of it, or to plan and execute a beautiful meal that would take more than 20 minutes to prepare. I don't start a sewing project because I'm afraid it'll never get done. I don't go outside just to sit in the sunshine with a great book because I feel bad that there's a room to clean in the house or laundry to be put away. I think this is just life for most of us, but it needs to change. In order to give myself permission to do the things for "me," I've made a two hour block per week on my calendar to specifically do those things that will bring me a personal joy.  I'm finding myself looking forward to that time, and it's amazing how much better I feel without any guilt that I did something for myself. If you're having the same trouble, give it a try. I'd love to hear what your experiences are and how you find time for yourself.

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