Cut Some Slack

There is not enough time in a day to do everything. I make a daily list but inevitably the unexpected occurs. My hopes for efficiency are soon dashed. I attempt recovery with the cunning use of multitasking. Who am I kidding? I can barely concentrate on one thing let alone many. As days go by I realize that certain jobs fall by the wayside. I have found that it is best for my stress level to just let them go.

I have had a pile of newspapers to go through for a few months now. The problem with news is that it gets old real fast! Some of the more interesting items were read and recycled. The rest just became a reminder of my ineptitude. I truly intended to read them all... someday. Other paperwork requires my attention as well. I came up with a novel solution.

A Barnes & Noble bag is great for loading with items for the recycle bin. I took the pile of papers and shoved them in. How much news will I miss? What I lost is much less than what I gained. My magazine rack is about empty. I do not have that visual reminder any longer that caused me mental anguish. Getting to more important tasks is easier since I eliminated this source of shame.

There is a hand-woven basket on a shelf that held small items I saved. It consisted of old mail, old articles and such that I felt I should look over. The whole point in saving something is based on an assumption. I assumed that down the road this information would somehow be of use. One day I would sit down for hours and sift through it is what I told myself.

Reality never quite matches our precognitions. Those items just sat there getting dusty. I learned that there is a difference in should and need. Much of what was in the basket was based upon should. These things should help me. Like any help in life one may receive it is only effective when one wants to be helped. With this in mind I threw away most of the basket's contents. I kept the few papers I truly wanted to read.

My day is filled with chores, errands and daily priorities from my list. I still hope to get to things that would bring personal fulfillment. Something has got to give. I cannot do all that I need or want. What I have done is eased up and given myself some slack. How I perceive things, whether positively or negatively, is the greatest determiner of stress.

Prioritizing tasks makes it clear how to budget your time. Praise for accomplishments feels better than admonitions for failures. If some things get old it is perfectly acceptable to let them go as long as your future self is not hurt. Needs and wants must be separated in order to gain perspective. Doing so will make it clear how to spend precious time. Look more at all that you do and see just what a productive person you really are.