Tag Archives: time

Putting the NO in NOvember

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November is a great time to start saying no to things that aren’t important or that don’t fit in with your life plan. It is NOvember, after all.

It doesn’t have to be drastic but small changes can be beneficial. This week has been challenging because I was overbooked and torn in a few directions every single day. With plans of some kind every night this week, there wasn’t much downtime or even time to keep up with daily chores.

Thankfully, every week isn’t like this in my world. The busyness did make it easier to say no to doomscrolling or to following a routine just because I usually do it.

Lately, I find my attention span suffering because there are lots of things and people at the ready to take my brain by the hand and lead it away to what they want me to do. How DOES one concentrate in that environment?

Today, I’m saying no to almost everything. I slept in. There are a few chores to be done. At some point I’ll take a shower and put on clean pajamas because, after all, I’m not saying no to personal hygiene!

Eventually, I will prop up my sprained ankle and read or watch a movie. I bought a new puzzle aimed at keeping me still. Perhaps that’s in my future as well.

I’m starting to transition into a quieter season of life as I lean into the colder, shorter days of winter. We’ll call this day one of appreciating how the cooler season can contribute to mental health and overall wellness.

Enough about me.

While my story may sound relatable, your story is probably completely different. What should YOU be saying NO to this NOvember?

We are nearing the end of the month but it’s never too late to start! Is it an expensive vice like vaping or energy drinks? Should you be saying no to the PTO president who has learned to guilt you into submission because the other parents scatter into the wind when there’s work to be done?

Maybe there are tasks you do because you’ve “always done it that way.” Now that’s a terrible phrase. And just how much time are you spending binging tv or scrolling on your phone when you could be playing with your kids, traveling or doing all the things you say you want to do?

What is it that’s distracting you, eating up your money and robbing you of precious time? Life is so short. Bad habits, energy thieves and people who steal time will make it seem shorter.

Time is a trickster. We all get the same 24 hours in a day but, when you’re little, the days feel so long and like they’ll never end. Christmas will never come when you’re a kid and it’s only June. As you age, time speeds up until life feels almost like a runaway train. Blink and you’ll miss it.

Time will continue to march on with or without permission. Saying NO to what we can allows us to say YES to what matters most. In my case today, that will be my mental and physical health. My yes may be different every day and yours may as well.

It’s Saturday, friends. It’s as good a day as any to start saying no!

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

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If you read the headline in the voice of the rock band Chicago, we are kindred spirits. Their 1969 song “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” has been on my mind lately. 

While my work life revolves heavily around the clock, I want my personal life to be less centered on the time and more on how I feel. Feeling like we answer to the clock 24/7 is exhausting.

So I was delighted yesterday when I realized I had no idea the time, nor did I care. 

This feels like a sign of success to me. To be unaware, uninterested and blatantly disengaged from the clock means that we are so busy living life that we forget to note time passing as we do it. 

When do you check the time most? When you are doing something you don’t enjoy, right? You check the clock at work, from the treadmill, during a boring meeting. In these situations you are likely monitoring the passing time and willing it to move more quickly. This isn’t the case when you’re having fun or satisfied with your current circumstances. 

Yesterday was a standard Sunday at home beginning with CBS Sunday Morning followed by light chores that will make my life easier this week. I have written about this kind of day as a self care day and you can find that story here.

This was hardly a fun day but I was content.

Isn’t that what it’s all about? Being so content with our lives that we can’t imagine doing anything other than what’s that’s in front of us right now is a true gift.

This Day

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Part of me says, wow, it’s Wednesday already! Part of me asks how it’s only Wednesday.

I’m in the home stretch of a big project at work and find myself experiencing time distortion. There are days when I’m so busy the hours fly by too quickly to count and others when they drag. The band Chicago asked the musical question “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is” and I’m convinced it’s about someone on deadline at work.

I badly want the week to be done and badly need to slow down the clock to allow chance to keep up.

It takes some effort but I try to appreciate each day for what it is. If it’s cold and dreary, that’s an excuse to make some hot chocolate. If it’s a great day of fun and adventure, that’s even better. If it’s midweek and I’m yearning for the weekend, I try to focus on the task at hand. After all, the fact I’m working means that I’m employed. This is important because my cat expects me to give him a good life!

Besides, it could be worse. It could be Monday! Search within your soul for something to be grateful for. This day is special and something to be cherished because you’ll never get it back again. Don’t wish it away for sunshine or free time or even Saturday.

Happy Wednesday!