When life forces a pit stop

I wrote a post recently about slowing down and I’ve also come across a few posts by other bloggers about taking a step back and evaluating where you’re at with what you’re doing before moving forward with more focus.   Guess it’s that time of year when everyone begins to feel a little out of sync after another crazy, busy year.

It’s great when you can decide when it’s time to slow down; it’s quite another when it’s forced upon you.

But that doesn’t mean it’s a terrible thing, either.  Some people (as I point to myself) might not always know when it’s time to slow down.

Tomorrow we’ll be halfway through the month of November and I’ve had to take the first half of this month very slowly.  No choice.  Period.  It’s a fact and one I’ve had to become resigned to whether I like it or not.

I honestly can’t recall the last time I got this much rest in a two-week period…ever.  But even when I’m resting, my brain won’t stop working.  For that reason, I’m left with an overwhelming urge to get stuff done.  I have a book to write, a 50,000 word count goal I’m trying to reach for National Novel Writing Month, posts to share on my blog, Facebook pages to catch up on, books to read, a house to clean (thanks to my hubby, that hasn’t been my chore since Halloween J), e-mails to catch up on, two other books to continue promoting, and a few other projects that need my attention.

Yikes – maybe I shouldn’t have made that list.  I can feel my heart race as I think about all I want to get done and how far behind I feel.  These thoughts and more are always roaming about in my head so now I know why I woke up at 5:30 this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep…

Of course, we can only do what we’re capable of at the time and for me, my health is more important than forcing a timeframe on projects that will still be there when I’m able to get to them.  I just have to remind myself of this daily to avoid doing more than I should.

No matter how long my task list is, this month I'll adjust to the fact that I’m moving like a turtle rather than a hare, but while I’m not moving too quickly or completing tasks daily, like the turtle I will continue with determination and come out a winner.  As the turtle says to the hare, “Slow and steady wins the race!”