I've Returned from the Great Beyond

I'm back and I'm overwhelmed. There's nothing unusual about this. Everyone I meet these days is tired, overwhelmed, over-worked, stressed to the breaking point. I'm tired before I get out of the bed each morning as my mind runs down the list of everything that needs to be done. I feel like a crazy person standing on the shore trying to push back the tide. Well, I've decided I can't do this anymore- change has to happen now.

School starts for my kids on September 3rd and I've decided to put myself back to school (not literally but figuratively). I've always loved the thrill of the start of the school year so I decided to ride this wave of enthusiasm to change the way I'm living my life. This is no easy task since I've been running on that hamster wheel for a long long time. It won't be easy nor will it be pretty (just imagine a house during a gut renovation) but the final product is worth it.

I've decided to use the school year as my frame. Imagine if your child's teacher started off the first day of school teaching as though the kids magically spent the summer learning all the subjects for their grade. The bus ride home would be full of tears and there would be plenty of kids pleading never to go back again. This is how I generally handle changes that need to be made in my life. I jump in as though I had some magical rebirth overnight. I suddenly assume that starting on day (x) I am a well-organized machine. Then I crash and burn within two days back to running in place with no hope of getting anywhere.

My challenge for this school year is to take it slow. The first day (September 3rd) will be my beginning and it will be a gentle start, a warm-up of sorts. I'll begin the process assessing what will work to create movement. Over the course of the school year, I'll set up daily assignments and challenging projects and hopefully by the last day of school, I will graduate with honors.