Thursday, October 9, 2008

Is it too late to join Rocktoberfest?

The Modern Gal, one of my favorite blog-ladies, started Rocktoberfest as a way for us to put a spring in our step even though spring was a very long time ago.

I love fall so much. It's my favorite time of year. But I really feel like this year my time has been spent more on taking care of business and less on taking care of me. I have this uncanny ability to stack my days against myself. And lately, my head has been spinning.

As someone who spends a lot of time writing about imaginary people, I think it's important to do things to stay grounded. I have an amazing therapist, who I see on and off when I feel like I need to discuss something. A neutral person to bounce ideas off of is a priceless thing.

The last time I saw him, I was chattering on a mile a minute about all the things I had to do and that my to do list for that day already had 17 items on it. "And the tomatoes!" I said. "Don't get me started on the tomatoes! The cherry tomato plants I planted in the garden have exploded and there are tomatoes everywhere and I don't know what to do with them, and it's stressing me out."

"Interesting," he said, smiling, "I've never had anyone come to me with a tomato problem before."

This cracked me up and knocked me down a peg and put things in perspective and made me realize that I need to prioritize things differently.

That was a few weeks ago, and have I gotten my priorities straight? Well, a little bit. But not nearly enough.

So I only have one Rocktoberfest Pledge.

1. I am going to take twenty minutes of non-computer time for me every day. It's not about the dog, or my work, or the tomatoes, or my husband, or my friends. It's not about checking e-mail, or answering phone calls, or making dinner, or doing laundry, or any sort of multi-tasking activity. I am going to take twenty minutes to sit outside by myself and watch the leaves fall, or go for a walk alone, or drink a pumpkin-y beverage, as The MG suggests. By me, for me, and about me. 20 minutes. Because, I think that those twenty minutes will give me time to catch my breath, and if I don't feel like I'm constantly gasping for air, I'll be able to remind myself that it's silly to stress out about tomatoes.

5 comments:

Ashley // Our Little Apartment said...

I've started something similar - I wake up early and take a 30 minute walk every morning before work. It gets me outside, on my own, before the day of work (aka: sitting in a cubicle rotting my eyes out in front of a computer!) starts.

It's been WONDERFUL. I actually look forward to waking up 45 minutes earlier!

Melissa said...

Autumn is a special time of year for me too. Taking those 20 minutes is a fab idea! If I miss the leaves falling off the trees...I miss it. I may be able to see it next year, but this season's happenings are this season's happenings ~ they'll never happen again! I'm also going to spend specific time outside just experiencing.

I think this weekend I'll bring a blanket and some hot chocolate outside to enjoy on the swing with my hubby before it's all gone. Thanks!

~Cozy Fall Days~
Melissa

Courtney said...

That's a great goal! Alone time is so important.

The Modern Gal said...

It's never too late for Rocktoberfest!

Time for yourself is so important and so easy to neglect too.

Mickey said...

20 minutes? That's it? I say give yourself at least an hour or two. And no thinking about tomatoes, either.