This weekend was a break I didn’t know I needed, but I did. And I’m glad for it.
Between weather and so many holidays, it’s been difficult to keep up with things around the house. On Friday, I mowed the back lawn, and then, somewhat spur of the moment, the family got together for dinner, something we haven’t done in awhile, especially with all the holidays in recent weeks. We ended up having takeaways from the shop I’ve used, and, as it happens, I was going to go there the week before—but it was January 2, a public holiday, and the shop was closed. So, this past Friday I was able to complete what I wanted to do the week before—hey, a win is a win!
After I got home Friday evening, I caught up on some TV and eventually fell asleep in my chair. Oops. That meant that Leo and I got up late on Saturday, which points to one of the many things I love about Leo: He doesn’t get up until he’s aware that I’m stirring, and me going to the loo doesn’t count. This means that if I don’t feel lik egetting up, he’s fine with continuing to sleep until I’m ready to get up. Jake and, especially, Sunny used to demand that Nigel get up very early in the morning, so this it’s really nice that Leo doesn’t do that.
On Saturday, despite getting a late start, I got several ordinary chores done. I planned on staying home all day, mostly because the country was set to have a heat wave, though not as severe as Australia experienced the week before (they had bad bush fires). Here in Kirikiriroa-Hamilton, the high on Saturday was expected to be 26, and it was—for about an hour. I have to admit it felt hotter than than that when I let Leo outside at the hottest point of the day.
I got up at a more reasonable hour this morning, but mainly did ordinary chores today, too—nothing even remotely interesting, but it’s always good to check things off the list. This evening it was more TV (well, mostly YouTube tonight…), and then a quick update on the break I didn’t know I needed.
Tomorrow is the start of a new week, and one in which I need to get some things done—well, technically it’s more like done. The weather is predicted to be varied this coming week, so it’ll probably mean work on both inside and outside projects.
If all this sounds downright dull, it is. That was deliberate, and it touches on why I needed a break: It wasn’t just because of all the holidays this time of year, and also wasn’t just because of all the interruptions from all the rain last month, though all of that was part of it. Instead, and on top of ordinary life and its challenges, there were all the atrocities committed by the USA’s current regime that left me—let’s just say “overwhelmed”. I needed a break more than I have in years. And I got one.
When I most needed a break, I found all sorts of perfectly ordinary things that provided the opportunity for that break. I’m glad for that, too.
2 comments:
The problem with making a list is that so many things stay on for months, demoralizing me
Yep, happens to me, too. I don't have a perfect solution, but part of what I do is have different lists. My main list gets everything I do/or plan to do in a day, whether it's for a project or even just an ordinary chore. Basically, it's about making sure I know what I've done or plan to do, and it helps me work out how long it's been since I did something, lile mow the back lawn, for example.
Another list has small—or tiny—tasks around the house, things aren't necessarily important, but things I want to get done and then keep forgetting about and then remembering only to forget it again. As a bonus, many of them are so little it would take less than 15 minutes to do, so they're a source of easy wins.
But the main thing I do, and have since I was a kid, is that I break up bigs tasks into small steps. That means I get to check lots of things off the list, and that makes it feel like I'm getting a lot of stuff done. Even though I know it's kind of tricking myself, it really does help.
At any rate, that helps me get stuff off my list. They may not work for you, but maybe it could give you some ideas for what might work? Good luck!
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