The Friday List (nice things you’ve done for yourself this week)
Okay, Bear is very annoyed with me for typing this right now because I’ve been making him wait for his walk forever while I read and wrote, but I explained I still owe you guys the Friday List, and then we’ll go. He pretends he doesn’t understand.
My nice thing this week was getting over the idea that I have to finish all 35 things on my to-do list before I can leave town next week, when really only about 6 of those things absolutely need doing. But I have this “rule” that I like everything cleaned up and organized, all my bookkeeping done, the house all tidy, all my errands completed before I can go enjoy myself on a vacation.
But I realized that’s just my rule–no one else cares. I make myself crazy with things like that, when really there’s no need. I can take care of most of the things on that list when I come back–there’s really no need to make myself anxious and overwhelmed, just because that’s always been my habit. I can actually decide fresh each day whether some of the things I always do are worth doing anymore. Habit is not a good enough reason anymore.
What about you guys? What big or small things have you done for yourselves this week? You know I always love to hear them.
(Yes, Bear, I’m coming. Sheesh.)
Take it away. I’ll be back.
Technorati Tags: The Friday List, Self-Care, Self-Kindness, Self-Pampering, Learning How Not To Make Myself Crazy Anymore
January 18th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Oh Bear, she can’t help her Blogphilia! XD
I’ve gotten a book I wanted though I have way to much to read as it is, went to the library and got more, and now I get to see my friends today!
January 18th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Robin, I’m so behind on blog-reading. I haven’t been here in forever. Wah. I’ve missed it.
Anyway, my nice thing is letting go of something I needed to let go of, which I was able to do because of lovely and random kindnesses from other people.
Also, on a way-less cryptic note, I might actually enter myself in the local library’s reading contest thingy for mamas. I never enter those, ’cause, come on, I’d easily win. I’m a book nerd who reads and blogs about books, so I usually think it’s unfair for me to enter, but the prize is a SPA TREATMENT. Hell to the yeah, I might enter this one.
Robin, I follow the same “rule” in my life. Glad you were able to let that go. ….I hope writing’s been going well.
January 18th, 2008 at 8:45 am
Dylan, you made me laugh!
Jules, hell to the yeah for sure!! Finally, an appropriate reward for all your prolific reading–besides, I mean, the enjoyment you get out of the books. Here’s to you at the spa!!
January 18th, 2008 at 8:52 am
I was really sick this week, and the nice thing I did was just let it ride — not push myself to get things done when I clearly wasn’t up for it.
January 18th, 2008 at 9:06 am
Aw, Diana, I’m so sorry! But I’m glad you’re being nice about it. Remember my lemon-ginger tea remedy? Is Sailor Boy making that for you?
January 18th, 2008 at 10:28 am
I’ve been taking it easy.
http://heatherharper.blogspot.com/2008/01/im-thinking-about-it-robin.html
And the funniest thing about this is that my word verification is … tree.
I kid you not.
January 18th, 2008 at 10:34 am
A friend died last Thursday, and the funeral was on Saturday, so that took over that part of the week entirely. (I was kind of surprised that I’d forgot all about the Nice Things List!) I haven’t been sleeping well and am still feeling a bit convalescent emotionally and physically, but that funeral was one of the most moving and — ack, at a loss for words — let me start again. If I spent my whole life trying to think of what I’d want people to say about me (or those I love) when I died, I couldn’t think of anything more than what was said about my friend. And it was all about how much she loved her family, her friends, her colleagues (who became friends)…
So going to the funeral was the most important thing I did this week, but then - inspired by it - I ordered gorgeous soft, hand-dyed yellow yarn to make gloves for my sweetie’s mum, instead of the more practical dark colour she’d decided on. Life’s too short not to wear yellow if it makes your heart lift! And today I just put on music and knit on his birthday socks for a couple of hours. I feel much better for letting everything else go for a bit…
January 18th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Anyone else having trouble coming up with words after reading Lady-S’s comments? Wow! I’m so sorry about your friend. But also inspired by “life’s too short not to wear yellow if it makes your heart lift!”. Thanks for sharing that.
And Robin, I’m still working on letting go of the shoulds. Glad that you made some progress on that this week. Last night I actually looked at two of the tasks on my task list (in Outlook, I’m compulsively organized that way) and decided “you know, I don’t have to do those.” And I deleted them.
I also watched the new PBS version of Persuasion, and while the word on the blogs is that it’s not as good as the 1995 version, I still enjoyed stepping into Jane Austen’s world for a while.
Wishing you all a weekend filled things that give you joy.
January 18th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Lady S, I’m so, so sorry. But I agree with Jen–you’re comment is so lovely, and I particularly appreciate the part about the yellow yarn. You’re really fabulous.
Jen, really glad to hear you deleted some to-dos, too! Solidarity! It’s amazing how hard that is sometimes, and yet how completely liberating it is once you do it.
As for Persuasion, I liked this version better than the 1995 one, mainly because the lead actor was so particularly fine. Eye candy is a good thing–especially when you pair it with a wonderful Jane Austen tale of love and longing.
Heather, as I just said on your blog, you are in such huge trouble for still having your Christmas tree up. (Although I love that “tree” was your anti-spam word! Ha!) I know I’m all about taking things off your to-do list this week, but come on–enough is enough. Embrace the new year, my friend. The Christmas tree is holding you back.
January 18th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Now I’m afraid to say it, but I left my tree up too. (ducking)
I wanted to see it a bit longer, because I barely got to enjoy it at all during the holidays. That’s one reason. (my spam word)
But the second reason, is more how I was nice to myself which was to just take it easy. I’ve been feeling tired and sluggy, and getting the tree down felt like One More Thing. Usually I’d be beating myself up or crying about my lack of energy, but this week I’m just letting it be. This weekend is pretty quiet, so it will come down then. That’s a promise!
January 18th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Oh, great, Mother Reader–make me feel guilty for giving you guys flack about your trees. Sigh. You’re right–take all the time you need. (Must stop bossing people around . . .)
January 18th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Last weekend I bought a little pot of flowering daffodil bulbs to put on the window sill because they looked so nice and cheery. And I managed NOT to feel guilty even when the shop assistant said “One pound fifty for THOSE?! What a rip off!”
But as Lady S has so eloquently pointed out, life’s too short not to enjoy daffodils on the window sill!
January 18th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
I went to see Julia Cameron at Changing Hands bookstore. I worked the event and got to hang out with her after the event! She is an interesting lady and really inspiring!
January 18th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Go hug that puppy!
I’ll post my list tonight.
January 18th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Eammaco, yay for daffodils! What a cheerful sight. And the shop assistant–thbbpp to her.
Shai, I was wondering how that event was. I took a weekend-long workshop from Julia, and that was amazing. Glad to hear she has another book out!
Little Willow, I will! Right now!
January 18th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Robin, I had this same trouble before I left on my trip, but once I left my messy house behind and was en route, I didn’t care about it any more. I may when I get home, but that isn’t until next week. So, today, I am happy.
Lady S., You are so right.
Right now, I am reaping the rewards of doing a nice thing for myself months ago, which was buying the plane ticket to come to Vegas and spend a week with my aunt. We are having lovely days that involve a lot of coffee and talking. And yesterday I did three crossword puzzles! Bliss.
January 18th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Adrienne, that’s so great! Bliss out!
January 18th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
This week went by fairly quickly and was fairly good. I walked plenty last weekend, then worked as per usual during the weekend. Along the way were stops at the library, a theatre, a recording studio, and a chat.
January 18th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Robin, hope you don’t mind a new voice chiming in. BJ from Kickass Webdesign just created a new site for me, and she suggested I might enjoy reading what you had to say. Apparently she’s correct.
I have been killing myself for a long time now over the “list” and just reading what you wrote reminded me it’s just MY list. No one is going to shoot me if it all isn’t done ahead of schedule…nobody but myself, and how silly is that?
David
January 18th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Lovely list, LW!
David, glad you joined us! Good luck on letting go of the list–I’m pulling for you!
January 18th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
I’ve done some school work this week. I also said a final goodbye to my laptop which finally gave up the ghost. I’m having the data transferred to another computer though so I don’t have to give up my Scotland funds. I miss my computer though! Tomorrow it might snow here so that would be nice. And I finished reading a book, not saying which one since I’m saving that for Tuesday Book Club.
January 19th, 2008 at 4:21 am
Thanks to you all. And joining Robin in the pfft to that snooty shop-assistant, Emma!
Lovely as always to read everyone’s treating-themselves-well entries - this is such a great thing you do, Robin.
January 19th, 2008 at 5:51 am
Yes, Robin, thanks for doing this. Sometimes I have to think hard to remember the nice things. I’m glad that even the small things, like showering all on my own (that is, with no baby sitting in her chair right outside the curtain), enjoying hot chocolate, forsaking work for more than 20 minutes of fiction reading (I got in a whole hour!), or having my best friend over for lunch, even while our girls played on the floor beside us and talked so loudly that we could barely hear each other. Those things are still nice and just for me!
Lady-S, I’ll echo others in sending my condolences to you and to your friend’s family. Loss is such a part of life, and we never move through it and come out as the same people we were before. Today, my friends face the 1-year anniversary of their 4-year-old’s death. I can’t imagine losing a friend or a child.
January 19th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
I allowed myself to whine to another author *coughcoughrobincoughcough* and it ended up getting me off my duff.
Thanks for sharing your pep and cheer, Miss Robin!
January 19th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
YAY!:p hehe Is it hard to do? xD
January 20th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
This week I went to the doctor. This was a nice thing to do for myself as I’d been sick for over a week and felt I had too many things to do. Good thing, too, because now I’m on meds and can enjoy the weekend. I started by taking my four-year-old to the new dog park at Reid Park in Tucson. We all soaked up some much needed fun in the sun.
Kelly, I was thinking about your friends for a long time before I posted. My heart goes out to them.
January 22nd, 2008 at 12:05 am
a hot bath AND a nap in the same day.
January 22nd, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Katie Sis, I like how casually you drop the phrase “Scotland fund.” Exotic! What’s the story?
Kelley, I’m glad you got to have fun with your friend, but I’m even happier you got to shower alone. What a luxury in your situation!
Sarah, always happy to pep up another author, since I’ve needed some pep myself at times, and depend on the kindness of other people who are willing to tell me to buck up and go write. Remember, perfection is an elegant defense against real life. We do the best we can, and that includes in our writing.
Dylan, it’s not hard to make me laugh, but I appreciate it each and every time.
Jen, good job getting some meds on board. I always wait like you did to see if things take care of themselves, but sometimes you have to call in the professionals. And how sweet about you and the 4-year-old and the dog park! Now, is the 4-year-old a child, or a dog?
Suzanne, WAY indulgent. Good for you. That’s the way this is played.
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:33 pm
My four-yr-old= my sweet little boy! My dogs are older, but still active. They have handled the four-yr-old, and now the 1-yr-old, with class and patience. They are the best!