Scheduled ME Time… Do It!

Scheduled Me Time

This morning my girlfriend came over for a visit. It was a planned occasion, and I was sooo excited that she was coming. You see, I work loong hours in a job that I truly enjoy but it is very demanding and can be very stressful. I often feel like I am not making headway or making a difference even though I’m told that I am. The point is… work is just that …work.

My friend is just the opposite. She is already retired and her day is pretty much her own to schedule as she wants. If I am to be perfectly honest there were times when I envied her because she actually didn’t choose retirement… the pandemic did that for her.

She didn’t have to grapple with the notion of getting older and surveying her usefulness and value on the planet. She didn’t have to try to pick the date when she’d throw in the towel. One day those decisions were made for her.

 I’m not saying it was easy for her… it most definitely was not. She had to be resilient to bounce back after being hit hard with the consequences of the pandemic.

Now she is free to do and be what she wants, when she wants… with limitations of course. All of us have limitations. Even the richest person in the world has limits. We all get 24 hours in a day … no more… no less. What we choose to do with that time really is up to us.

I’m not saying we don’t have obligations. Of course, we do. The kids need help with their homework. Check, gotta do that. We need food in the fridge and pantry, check. The house has to be kept neat and clean … well sort of, check.  Family events like soccer, basketball, volleyball, and baseball games, dance and piano recitals, birthday celebrations, etc. Gotta work that into the schedule as well. Cooking meals, doing laundry, yardwork, blah blah blah. Check. Check. Check.

Let’s not forget mom & dad or the other elders in our lives, better touch bases with them to make sure they’re ok and help them with whatever they need.

Whether or not we choose to fulfill the obligations and take care of our responsibilities is really a choice we make every day. The bottom line is …our time is …our own.

That said, I’ve decided to make the best use of my time. Rather than complaining about how little time I have, I’ve decided to schedule some time for me and make me a priority. Yes, that’s right… schedule it. Just like I schedule everything else that has to be done.

It may be something as simple as an uninterrupted bubble bath with some scented lavender candles, or a respite on the patio listening to music or reading a good book. How about a foot massage … ahhhh. Or have a nice quiet meal in the park all by myself… tranquility.

Today I’ve chosen to spend some quality time with a dear friend. We laughed and talked and prayed together… reminisced about the past and dreamed about the future. It was great! It was relaxing, fulfilling and invigorating all at the same time. And it only took a couple of hours.

The rest of the day was filled with the normal, routine activities… but I didn’t feel like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders because I was replenished by a visit with my friend.  

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that each time I schedule ME time, in whatever form it is going to take, I inform the folks in my household so that they know it is protected time… no interruptions allowed. It’s not always a couple of hours. Sometimes it’s only 15 – 30 minutes but is protected Don’t TOUCH time.

I also have to remind myself that it’s protected time, too.

…that I have to value and guard against filling it up with some perceived obligation that will still be there when I’m finished looking out for ME.