We all know the feeling: there are a million things on the checklist and they all have to get done. Like, yesterday.
A few months ago I had a checklist of three significant things that needed to be done by the end of the month. Only one of them was critical within the timeframe; the others were simply important to me. Per usual, I stressed myself out at the thought of them. So I took a really deep breath, then said aloud “Sarah, which of these is THE most important?”
The car. If that state inspection didn’t get done then I’d have a ticket before too long and one of the stressing factors about getting the car taken care of was my dislike of spending any amount of money. All right, take another deep breath, find an available morning in the first two weeks of the month, schedule the appointment for bright and early (get it done sooner in more ways than one!) and get it done. CHECK! It was all taken care of by the 10th of the month and I no longer had to worry about the possibility of a ticket.
The car. If that state inspection didn’t get done then I’d have a ticket before too long and one of the stressing factors about getting the car taken care of was my dislike of spending any amount of money. All right, take another deep breath, find an available morning in the first two weeks of the month, schedule the appointment for bright and early (get it done sooner in more ways than one!) and get it done. CHECK! It was all taken care of by the 10th of the month and I no longer had to worry about the possibility of a ticket.
Next, I asked myself which of my next two things sparked the most joy in me since neither of them was time sensitive. That one was harder than I thought! Here was my dilemma: I’m a musician and I finally - after 10 years - had an opportunity to get back into violin lessons, this time with a new teacher and a different style of playing. The violin is the love of my life so this seemed an obvious runner up to the car in light of “What sparks the most joy.” But actually, my choice was a haircut.
My hair was about mid-back in length and I don’t enjoy getting haircuts. It’s not for fear of a bad haircut; it’s actually due to my breaakdown happening at the end of a haircut. I wanted to get back into music lessons but I wanted to really enjoy them, even if they proved to be hard. My hair was long and heavy enough that headaches were happening with increasing frequency even when I wasn’t doing anything. So I called the hair salon while still on the high of checking the car off my to-do list and scheduled that appointment. While still on the high of accomplishing another hard thing, I emailed my soon-to-be music instructor and we confirmed a lesson time slot without yet committing to a starting week.
I realize that the lessons learned and successes of these accomplishments are not a one and done deal. I’ll continue to have anxiety and the car will probably stress me out year after year because that’s what it does. Haircuts might sometimes be enjoyable and other times not so much. This year, I’m proud of myself for personalizing the word “adulting” so well and accomplishing these hurdles without having any panic attacks. Breathing through it, prioritizing well, and appropriate self care really do go a long way towards living an abundant life!
