Over the past month several people have been telling me, "you have to slow down." One of them was my doctor.....what does he know?
Anyway, when I tried to slow down I had no idea how to do it.
Someone called two weeks ago asking me to take blood pressures for one hour. When I looked at my calendar I already had an appointment during that time. The old me would have rescheduled my appointment and done both tasks. The new me said, "I'm sorry, I can't work at the nurses station at that time."
Now the trick is convincing myself not to feel guilty.
A friend called and demanded I slow down. She said, "you're burning the candle at both ends, you have to stop."
I said, "you know, you're right. I won't be able to help you this afternoon." She yelled, "When you eliminate tasks, don't pick me!"
It is about slowing down.
We were at an appreciation dinner the other night. One of the board members said to my husband, also pointing at me, "are you retired?" My husband smiled and nodded. "I am, but she's not."
Well, I can tell people I'm retired. Actually my hubby is correct. I've got more on my calendar than I should have.
Erma Bombeck said one time, 'When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, I used everything you gave me."
I want to be able to say that too. I'm learning I don't need to use all that talent in one day.
Are you spreading yourself too thin?
How do you manage?
Great write. Now repeat this answer, "Maybe" and then just go on by. Then they will ask the next person who says, "Yes" because most folks want a commitment. The "maybe" answer is a polite way in the Japanese culture to say "perhaps not" and it works for them very well.
