by George Romney, of Emma Hart as Miranda, in the Tempest, late 1700s, public domain
for me, today is about trying to keep it simple. i can feel the impending maelstrom of holiday requirements approaching. or is it just the cool autumn chill in the air? elaborate events, events requiring new formalwear for growing children, black tie! gifts to buy and give. lots of gifts! cards to design and distribute. entertaining. decorating! cooking special meals, meals that take all day, meals to remember! so today. green tea and blueberries for breakfast. yoga practice. some time spent with my trusty notepad and sharpened pencil. strategizing. simplifying. organizing. focusing. prioritizing. i've got big plans to stay on top of things this year. for maybe the first time, ever. i will not get carried or swept away. (is it me or is that sounding like a desperate cry into the wind?) i will keep it simple. simplicity. simplicity. simplicity. make it manageable. my new mantra.
I recently started the habit of beginning each day at work with green tea and my notebook (a bundle of scrap paper labeled with each date). I go over the day's to-do list and think about timing, something especially relevant for me as I'm a scientist that does cell culture and experiments that depend very heavily on correct incubation times. Starting the day like that gives me an "overview" of everything I have to do and keeps me on track for getting things done. I end each day at work with setting up the list for the next day, and this makes sure I'm not crazy that night trying to think about how I'm going to get everything done.
ReplyDeleteAlso - the other thing I've found to be super helpful is turning off my computer half an hour before I go to bed (actually helps your eyes readjust and reduce eyestrain and such). It's a nice routine of finishing the dishes, getting my lunch ready for the next day, setting out what I'm planning to wear, brushing my teeth, and reading a chapter from the book on my bedside table...it's quite a relaxing way to end the day. Now that I'm done with my official "student days" I want no more of the down-to-the-wire crazed feeling. None of that.
we too are trying to keep it simple this year....http://lobotomeblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/simple-christmas.html
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