The Back Burner

When I started this blog, my goal was to update it every 3-4 days.  I'm not sure why I picked that number, but it seemed like a feasible task.  I didn't want it to seem like a burden, because writing in here is something I enjoy immensely, but I needed a little push and incentive to take time out and do it.  The first month or so was easy- maybe my schedule wasn't as busy, or the excitement of something new made it a priority, or my brain was feeling particularly creative then.  Whatever the case, I somehow got distracted and realized it's now been two weeks since my last post.  Yikes. 

It's not that I haven't had ideas- I write in my blog in my head when I'm driving or lying in bed at night or swimming.  But that kind of defeats the purpose of a blog- the idea of sharing your ideas.  Why haven't I written?  I HAVE been busy.  I HAVE been distracted.  I've been working, juggling paperwork and visits and phone calls for Dad, attending to out-of-town guests, going to meetings and appointments, spending time with friends, enjoying the beautiful fall weather...doing laundry, er, um, surfing the web...



The "before" picture

 While all valid, those are all excuses.  The truth is that I didn't make it a priority.  There are 24 hours in each day, and I didn't choose to put 15 of those aside to do this.  Consequently, it built up in my head as this *big thing* I had to do, and I felt guilty about not doing it, which started to almost make me dread it.  There are so many nagging tasks that we put off- things that are on the "to-do" list but never quite make it to the "Done" list.  For me, finally taking care of them is an incredibly rewarding feeling, no matter how small the task is.  I went two weeks once without putting the windshield wiper fluid in my car, even though I had a gallon of it rolling around in the trunk.  Every time I tried to clean the windshield, I was reminded of "one more thing" that I haven't done.  When I finally took the 2 minutes to do it, I felt so much calmer.  It seems silly, but those little things really do make a difference. 

I had three items on my List that I kept putting off and finally realized I needed to make them a priority.  So this morning, I set aside an hour and a half to write the long overdue thank you card to a dear friend, go through the huge pile of paperwork that had been building on my desk, yes, update my blog.  So far I'm 2-for-3.  My desk is cleaner than it's been in months, and the card is addressed and stamped.  Now I just have to write it...