The Shape of My Week
You know how I’ve been grumbling incessantly about feeling down, and the year getting off to a slow start? Well, I’m beginning to snap out of it. And it’s not because of any pep talks I gave myself, or any lists or plans I made- circumstances just changed a bit, shook things up, and voila! I feel better. Most people think their lives are too busy, and would like more free time. But as Gretchen Rubin says, the opposite of a great truth can also be true. In our case, we added more to our days. My daughter is deep into rehearsals for the high school musical (she’s playing in the pit orchestra) which require nighttime rehearsals. And, as I’ve mentioned, she now goes to the gym! Several days after school she and her friend will hit the gym- the friend’s mom drives them there, and I pick them up. But usually, if I’m going to the gym to pick them up, I might as well do a workout. On some days this means double workouts for me- or sometimes I’ll go for a walk in the morning (when I would normally be doing my workout) and then work out at the gym later on. I used to HATE going to the gym after work, but I’m enjoying this new routine. Then, if my daughter has a rehearsal, we’ll leave the gym and she’ll eat a quick dinner of leftovers or something I picked up for her (totally justified in not cooking a dinner from scratch since time is limited) and then I’ll take her back to school. Yes, I did grumble a TINY BIT Monday night when I had to pick her up at 9:30 pm (shouldn’t I be in bed now???) but overall it’s working out just fine. My days off have also been busier than usual. This weekend was a perfect example- on Saturday I worked, went to the gym with my daughter, then drove down to Ft. Lauderdale to pick up race packets. Sunday I ran a race! I did have time to relax in the afternoon, but we all know Sunday afternoon relaxation quickly morphs into “tomorrow is Monday” activity. So, apparently busier is better for me! But once again, the opposite of the opposite of a great truth (still following?) can also be true. Tuesday was another busy day, and in the midst of running around (work, gym, driving, making dinner) I realized, tomorrow is my day off! And I don’t have ANYTHING SCHEDULED. Wow, that felt good. After dropping my daughter at school, I ran, got a massage, and then made my way to Barnes and Noble. I was able to snag my favorite table in the cafe… and sat there for a long, long time. I really needed this downtime. I just couldn’t shake myself out of the rut I was in, but luckily circumstances stepped in to do it for me. (Coming up tomorrow… a week full of FIGS!) If your year got off to a slow start, do you feel like you’re back on track now? Top photo by Robert Keane on Unsplash