We woke up to hurried excitement and I got no objections when I requested the children brush their teeth to get ready. They were dressed and down the stairs in a flash. By the time I made my way to the kitchen for breakfast they had already decided what they were going to eat. On any other day, things would not have gone so smoothly and by then I was certain we would catch our train with time to spare. Should we be getting ready for a regular school day however, I imagined the level of cooperation would not have been so great. I found even in myself, an extreme focus toward the goal at hand that morning and normally things could get me really distracted while getting prepared for the day. Things as simple as getting my lunch ready could allow my imagination to roam toward creating some elaborate plan for dinner later that night and before I really understood it, I could be knee deep in an online recipe search that always takes much longer than I had originally anticipated or in choosing attire to wear I could decide to try different combinations of items that might go well together, but then find that 20 minutes had gone by and I would not be dressed.
The point is that I was noticing how nervousness and anticipation over getting to where I needed to that day ON TIME made it happen for everyone that morning and with certainty. We got to where we needed to with minimal conflict or struggle and it was a terrific day.
With children to take care of and a distraction seeking habit like mine, I often find myself struggling in a time jam. It’s a major flaw because I want to be responsible, caring, and capable. But I want to be creative and have fun, too. So I juggle my time between getting really serious important work done and my need to have a moment in curiosity or creativity that usually eats into what I’m “supposed” to be doing instead.
Often, I forgive myself the selfishness and try to think up better ways to allow more breathing room in my daily schedule… and then my phone alarm will ring reminding me to get to bed in time for an early start the next day. I’m almost always surprised to hear it ring so soon and think, “ALREADY???? I guess I’ll just have to continue this task another time?” Then, I hear an inner child-like voice inside me say, “Awwwww… just ten more minutes? Pleeeaaaassse?!”