Ready, Set, Reset
When the computer starts running a little too slowly, I know it’s time for a reboot. It’s been on too long. It’s had too many operations running. It just isn’t working at full capacity. It needs to clean out its memory a little and start over.
I often feel the same way, and it’s no wonder. The human body isn’t designed to keep going and going without a break. We don’t come with Energizer batteries. Even the Lord on High took a day to rest after working all week, and so should we.
Socrates said “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Far be it from me to disagree. The man did have a point, even if that other great philosopher, Woody Allen, rebutted, “Maybe the unexamined life is not worth living, but the examined life is no picnic either.”
The purpose of examining our lives is to set goals and priorities, to purge what’s not working and make way for something that will. As such, I’ve always been a big believer in “the unchallenged life is not worth living.” If I want to spend my time dwelling on something, I’ll take a future potential over a past mistake or accomplishment any day. Hope, after all, is the most interesting companion we could possibly have in this life.
Challenges are beautiful. Challenges are exciting. Challenges make the world go round. And challenges are only met by people who live to see another day.
When things start piling in on you, it’s okay to hit the reset button. Slowing down is not the same as giving up. Sometimes the best thing you can do to help catch up on everything that needs your attention is to take a nap. Clear your head. Read a book. Go for a walk. Empty your mind of its worries, and give your body a chance to relax. If you are really the only person who can get the job done, all that work will still be there when you get back to it. So will all of the possible rewards that go along with it.
Douglas Adams said, “I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by.” Let them whoosh, I say. New ones will crop up in their place.
One evening, I realized I was getting sick. I suddenly got a bad headache and a sore throat. I took my temperature: 100.5. A friend called about that time and politely asked how I was doing. I said “Not so great, but I can’t let it get to me. I have to go to work tomorrow.” Everything that needed to be done kept running through my head. I did not want to miss because missing one day would mean everything was thrown off for the whole week. It just wasn’t a good time to get behind, so I kept insisting I was going to work—until the temperature hit 103. Somewhere between 100.5 and 103, my whole perspective changed, not to mention my field of vision.
Responsibility is important. Hard work is important. Meeting obligations is important. But so often we live in a state of 24 hour stress, thinking that’s what’s required to meet those obligations. Then something happens to change our perspective, and we realize we’ve been worrying too much about things that can be done differently if need be.
Know when it’s time to hit the reset button. Just like the computer, your mind and body will work more efficiently once you’ve cleaned out a little pent up stress. Besides, bad moods are contagious, and nobody likes a carrier. By all means, work as hard as you can—until you hit the point of diminishing returns. Then lighten up. Loosen up. Check back only when you’ve given yourself a recharge.
I often feel the same way, and it’s no wonder. The human body isn’t designed to keep going and going without a break. We don’t come with Energizer batteries. Even the Lord on High took a day to rest after working all week, and so should we.
Socrates said “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Far be it from me to disagree. The man did have a point, even if that other great philosopher, Woody Allen, rebutted, “Maybe the unexamined life is not worth living, but the examined life is no picnic either.”
The purpose of examining our lives is to set goals and priorities, to purge what’s not working and make way for something that will. As such, I’ve always been a big believer in “the unchallenged life is not worth living.” If I want to spend my time dwelling on something, I’ll take a future potential over a past mistake or accomplishment any day. Hope, after all, is the most interesting companion we could possibly have in this life.
Challenges are beautiful. Challenges are exciting. Challenges make the world go round. And challenges are only met by people who live to see another day.
When things start piling in on you, it’s okay to hit the reset button. Slowing down is not the same as giving up. Sometimes the best thing you can do to help catch up on everything that needs your attention is to take a nap. Clear your head. Read a book. Go for a walk. Empty your mind of its worries, and give your body a chance to relax. If you are really the only person who can get the job done, all that work will still be there when you get back to it. So will all of the possible rewards that go along with it.
Douglas Adams said, “I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by.” Let them whoosh, I say. New ones will crop up in their place.
One evening, I realized I was getting sick. I suddenly got a bad headache and a sore throat. I took my temperature: 100.5. A friend called about that time and politely asked how I was doing. I said “Not so great, but I can’t let it get to me. I have to go to work tomorrow.” Everything that needed to be done kept running through my head. I did not want to miss because missing one day would mean everything was thrown off for the whole week. It just wasn’t a good time to get behind, so I kept insisting I was going to work—until the temperature hit 103. Somewhere between 100.5 and 103, my whole perspective changed, not to mention my field of vision.
Responsibility is important. Hard work is important. Meeting obligations is important. But so often we live in a state of 24 hour stress, thinking that’s what’s required to meet those obligations. Then something happens to change our perspective, and we realize we’ve been worrying too much about things that can be done differently if need be.
Know when it’s time to hit the reset button. Just like the computer, your mind and body will work more efficiently once you’ve cleaned out a little pent up stress. Besides, bad moods are contagious, and nobody likes a carrier. By all means, work as hard as you can—until you hit the point of diminishing returns. Then lighten up. Loosen up. Check back only when you’ve given yourself a recharge.
posted by Sharon Gerald | 4:24 AM
1 Comments:
Resetting is essential. And being reminded that it's natural is nice, too.
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