Let me add that to my list

I make lists.

Lots of them. Lists of goals to meet at work that day or week. Lists of groceries and things I need to buy and/or am running out of at home. Mental lists of chores that need to happen, places I’m supposed to be, gifts I need to buy.

Take Saturday, for example. As I was leaving Tim’s house after the 2009 Tim Henning Spring Hill Fun Run Invitational, I started making a mental list of what needed to happen the rest of the day. 1. Stop at Kroger and fill up car with gas. 2. Once home, take off muddy shoes before walking through living room. 3. Put muddy pants and jacket straight into the washer. 4. Take a long, hot shower. 5. Start cooking chicken for soup you want to make. 6. Start laundry and dishwasher. 7. Change sheets on bed. 8. Dry hair. 9. Straighten, dust, do floors in living room. 10. Dust bedroom and vacuum.

As you can see, sometimes the whole “I-make-lists” things gets me in trouble. I start trying to do too many things at once. I plan too much into one day, hour, or week. And you’ll be happy to know that Saturday’s list kind of stopped at #8. Because that’s when I got really tired and had to sit, then lie, then take a nap on my couch. I will remind you that I ran a 10K that morning!

Lately, I’ve been feeling beaten up and worn down by all the things I’ve said I would do, places I’d be, tasks I could take on. Most of them are good things, but even too many good things can become overwhelming. I’m tired, I had a headache that lasted two days at least, and I’ve learned there’s no shame in not doing everything.

So, I’m learning to say NO more often.

Please don’t be offended if I say it to you. It probably has nothing to do with you and everything to do with recognizing the signs of exhaustion in myself and making the commitment to rest. I feel selfish in writing that, but the truth is, I’m no good to anybody if I’m so tired I can’t think straight. Which was the case yesterday when I basically just told someone at work, “I can’t reason today. So, I can’t make decisions.”

So, I’m adding “rest more often” to my list. No, wait. I’m not even going to make a list!