First Month, Eighth Step

Today is the first day of the second week in January. I know there is a variance of opinion on whether Sunday or Monday is the first day of the week.  Perhaps the choice of one or the other is simply a matter of perspective. If Sunday is considered as a day to relax and recoup, it appropriately serves as day seven of the old week; if it’s seen as a time to rally and regroup, then it functions well as day one the new week.  This Sunday I am going to lay low and consider it a day of rest, with ample time to both recoup and regroup. How’s that for decision-making? My strong tendency to see an issue from many sides is both a blessing and a curse; on second thought, calling it a mixed blessing sounds better. In any case, this tendency can be maddening in the decision-making realm. I can go back and forth on an issue for a crazy amount of time. How well my husband and children know!

This morning I was assessing my first week of blogging on this site, the most immediate question being, “Do I want to attempt to blog every day or a lesser number?” The lesser number is attractive for several reasons. Given that it takes me a fairly long time to write a piece to post, my house is showing the physical signs of neglect. Meal preparation has also taken a hit, much to my family’s dismay—pouring that bowl of cereal, or slathering that slice of bread with peanut butter can be  grueling to perform on their own. Then there is the noticeable lack of my participation in the pleasant banter of household conversation—my husband and children are used to hanging on to my every word, especially when it comes to discussing the details of household maintenance. Lastly, my other writing projects have had to ride in the backseat and they are getting restless; they have started to clamor “Shotgun!” for front seat privileges in the near future.

So many needs, so little of me! In the interest of keeping the peace—another one of my strengths—among those vying for my time and attention, I am going to try to be more conscious of how I divide my time.  While I’m chalking up my strong suits, add time management to the list. I will also work on fixing the bugs in my writing program; expecting myself to limit the number of words I write at one sitting, or on a given project, is analogous to giving a child a bag of candy and telling him or her to eat only one piece; it just ain’t gonna happen, folks.

This very post is a prime example. I opened my computer intending to wish everyone a lovely Sunday and gracefully bow out for the remainder of the day. You see how well that worked.

The risk of writing according to the “fly by the seat of your pants” philosophy is that you never quite know where you are going to end up, and for now, it is here. My closing encouragement, and perhaps a good thread to pick up tomorrow, is this confidence: For every need there is a name--Jehovah; blessed be the name of the Lord!