Cultivating The Easy-Going Life.
It's not the standard idea. But I've never been one to submit to the idea of "standard" or "usual."
"Saturdays are when I get my errands done," is the standard idea for most people.
This is true for me. I've been so busy during my weekdays that getting in beauty and health appointments (laser hair removal, hair stuff, waxings, acupuncture, car servicing appointments, massages, cryotherapy, floating, cleaning my house, laundry, etc.) always get done on weekends.
My weekends... My precious time to myself.
They've become overbooked. Loaded with errands and tasks. All optional, of course. But all still essential.
I sat down earlier this week - I believe it was Thursday evening - and looked at my calendar for August.
I didn't have a free Saturday this entire month. The month hadn't even begun, and every Saturday I had something booked. One Saturday, I have an entire eight hours booked off.
"This isn't the kind of life I want to cultivate," I noted mentally.
If I have to get in my vehicle on Saturdays and Sundays, I want it to be because I am off to do something relaxing. Something completely optional, that if I didn't do it wouldn't result in a "late fee charge" or an irate phone call for canceling at the last minute.
"I've got to find a way to fit some of these things in during the week," I said. "What if I want to go to the mountains for a last minute trip? Or head up the coast to a different beach for the night? I want to be more spontaneous!"
My weekdays are loaded with activities. From 6am till about 8pm, I am committed most days. There are brief moments of free time during the days, but they are packed. So fitting in all of my usual weekend appoints from the month is almost impossible.
But I am determined to have my weekends more available for whatever whims pop into my overactive and overtaxed brain.
"This is why I don't have children or pets. It's why I haven't joined any organizations, and why I don't actively teach yoga," I reminded myself. "I wanted a relaxed and easy-going life. Over-scheduled on weekends is not being relaxed."
So I've made myself a promise... As I move into September, I am cutting back on all of these optional commitments. And I am moving my household chores to Friday nights.
No more zapping my skin with a powerful laser to remove my leg hair. Cut back on acupuncture (which will be easy, as my acupuncturist is moving to Tampa - I feel bad for him). Cryotherapy will be done during the week every few weeks when I work from home. Waxings, the massage and the hair though... Those are all going to need to be done on Saturdays still. But they are once-a-month things... If that. I could push to six weeks on each of them.
Well, not the massages. Those are monthly. And essential to relaxing.
But my Saturdays and Sundays are getting completely freed up and unscheduled next month. I want to be able to wake up on Saturdays and say, "I feel like doing X, Y, Z this weekend."
And then jetting off to go to that.
Project Cultivation is activated.
"Saturdays are when I get my errands done," is the standard idea for most people.
This is true for me. I've been so busy during my weekdays that getting in beauty and health appointments (laser hair removal, hair stuff, waxings, acupuncture, car servicing appointments, massages, cryotherapy, floating, cleaning my house, laundry, etc.) always get done on weekends.
My weekends... My precious time to myself.
They've become overbooked. Loaded with errands and tasks. All optional, of course. But all still essential.
I sat down earlier this week - I believe it was Thursday evening - and looked at my calendar for August.
I didn't have a free Saturday this entire month. The month hadn't even begun, and every Saturday I had something booked. One Saturday, I have an entire eight hours booked off.
"This isn't the kind of life I want to cultivate," I noted mentally.
If I have to get in my vehicle on Saturdays and Sundays, I want it to be because I am off to do something relaxing. Something completely optional, that if I didn't do it wouldn't result in a "late fee charge" or an irate phone call for canceling at the last minute.
"I've got to find a way to fit some of these things in during the week," I said. "What if I want to go to the mountains for a last minute trip? Or head up the coast to a different beach for the night? I want to be more spontaneous!"
My weekdays are loaded with activities. From 6am till about 8pm, I am committed most days. There are brief moments of free time during the days, but they are packed. So fitting in all of my usual weekend appoints from the month is almost impossible.
But I am determined to have my weekends more available for whatever whims pop into my overactive and overtaxed brain.
"This is why I don't have children or pets. It's why I haven't joined any organizations, and why I don't actively teach yoga," I reminded myself. "I wanted a relaxed and easy-going life. Over-scheduled on weekends is not being relaxed."
So I've made myself a promise... As I move into September, I am cutting back on all of these optional commitments. And I am moving my household chores to Friday nights.
No more zapping my skin with a powerful laser to remove my leg hair. Cut back on acupuncture (which will be easy, as my acupuncturist is moving to Tampa - I feel bad for him). Cryotherapy will be done during the week every few weeks when I work from home. Waxings, the massage and the hair though... Those are all going to need to be done on Saturdays still. But they are once-a-month things... If that. I could push to six weeks on each of them.
Well, not the massages. Those are monthly. And essential to relaxing.
But my Saturdays and Sundays are getting completely freed up and unscheduled next month. I want to be able to wake up on Saturdays and say, "I feel like doing X, Y, Z this weekend."
And then jetting off to go to that.
Project Cultivation is activated.
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