Notice the built in joke in the title? No – look again. Anyway – the heel is pulling itself back together some. I’m about to lose my mind not being able to go run, or really even walk the dog in shoes without ripping it open again. I’m just hoping it heals up completely by Monday. If not, I may have to tough it out and just go anyway.
That brings me to something I’ve been thinking about lately. With all the wedding (and additional) madness of the last month, I find myself wondering why some people handle stressful situations with grace and composure and some just spazz out and shut down.
Now, there are significant life moments where what I’m about to say doesn’t really apply – huge life changes (unexpected job changes, death, birth, divorce, etc…)that illicit such powerful responses that they can be difficult to process. I’m talking about moments where you’re behind at work, you have a family committment and the dog just pooped in the floor. Those kind of “freak out” moments that really require a dose of perspective. Strangely enough though – I’ve seen people handle the big things better than the little things…but I’m wandering off path here.
What I’m thinking about is how silly it is that people sometimes just decide that their work load (be it professional or family) is just “too much” and throw their hands up and say screw it. The human body, mind, and soul are some of the most miraculous things in the universe. We can’t truly conceive a scenario in day to day life where anything is truly “too much.”
I’ve been reading 50 in 50 – where Dean Karnazes chronicles running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. Yeah. So, if he can do that – why can’t we walk the dog, take our kids to school, get in a good work day, exercise, have dinner as a family, and maybe read a little? Here are some reasons I came up with:
1) There really is only so much time in the day – and sh*t happens. So, when your routine or goals get derailed, accept it and relax. One small hiccup can spiral out of control into a situation where you’re completely “frozen up.” If we demand perfection, then we have no chance.
2)Humans are by nature a little selfish and lazy. If I hear one more person recommend stopping and taking time to “be with yourself” as a remedy for a overly-stressful schedule, I’m going to scream. That doesn’t even make any sense. It’s so much more relaxing to just get it done instead of spending time dealing with the stress of not having it done.
3)Stop focusing on the end game. In America especially, we are horrible at living in the moment. Horrible. Take time to savor a nice view on your commute, or enjoy the work you’re doing – even if you’re just filling out spreadsheets. Breathe and enjoy the moment – because we’re all on our way out of here and only have so many moments left.
Well – that rambled on semi-coherently. Just wanted to toss that out there, as I’m working on not only optimizing my time (especially at work), but optimizing my mindset as well. As an entrepreneur, it’s best to embrace the chaos that is life – and focus on making the most of out every opportunity…be it a business opportunity or an opportunity to spend time and bond more deeply with your family.