A deadline staring at me. Time to sit down and get the work done.
But the headspace? Only a little grumpy about it. Only a little stressed. Pretty good overall, willing to just sit down and work from top to bottom on the work I did yesterday. I have a good draft. Now take it to final.
The “pretty good headspace” comes from the usual habits. Remember. That’s all I need to do, to say to myself. It snaps me into awareness. Me, simultaneously the creator of the universe around which all revolves, and the smallest speck of random matter in the universe, so small it cannot be found. I am everything and I am nothing, both at the same time.
The “little grumpy” and “little stressed” is the part that I need to let go of, right now. That’s why I’m writing this: to remind myself that sitting down and doing the work is the appointed task, and my opinion of the task does not matter. In fact, opinion is one of those things that can only detract from having a good life, a peaceful life. Opinions can’t make a good life.
So let the opinion go. Just do the work.
And for future opinions, realize the reason for the grumpy and the stress. The reason is too many things to do in too little time. Something must fall to the ground, undone. You don’t want anything to fall to the ground, but it must. Even if you were blessed (haha it would really be a curse) with 52-hour days while everyone else had 24-hour days, you wouldn’t get it all done.
So deal with the root cause: too many things need to be done in too little time, because you made those promises. The root cause is me, not the jobs to be done.
For the now: have a cup of coffee. Sit down to do the work in the way you know it needs to be done. There are two things on your now plate: the work project and the home project. Say no to everything else. You know how to pace yourself, so do it.
That action plan takes care of the opinion module for the day. “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” As usual, the KJV says it best. And the tasks of the day are not really evil, are they?
It’s a good quote to remember. Take action now, ignore thinking about the past (promises I made and can’t keep today), and ignore thinking about the future (what people might think or so because I can’t keep my promises).
Or even easier: Just do. Don’t think.
1. Daily spiritual maintenance actions.
2. Long term life change actions.
3. Today’s work tasks.
Don’t forget to eat.