As I countdown to the departure of my flight to Budapest for my vacation, I have found myself floundering. Trying to manage the stress and angst of things to do before I leave, I am realising that I won’t get all of them done. As I took a break to walk my dog Sushi, and sit with her in the sun on a bench in the park for awhile, my mind ran on a recent experience:
A major deadline of June 30 was looming. As I made my long list of tasks necessary to meet this deadline, it dawned on me how challenging it would be. No wonder I had been procrastinating about starting. But at least now I could explain the source of my restlessness and discomfort over the past few weeks.
Sunday morning, instead of tackling the list, I went to the beach. As I lolled in the sand in a state of total relaxation and bliss, I had a revelation – change the deadline to July 31! The moment that thought emerged, it felt right. I felt this sense of wonder and amazement – why hadn’t I thought of it before? Where did the June 30 deadline come from in the first place? It actually came from me!
There are two lessons here for me.
Lesson One – the importance of relaxation and rest for clarity. So often when we have a multitude of things to do, we feel that we cannot afford to stop. This is exactly when we MUST rest. Rest allows us to break our cycle of activity, in which we are often engaged on autopilot. When we are in this auto mode of time-pressured activity, our minds are totally focused on the tasks at hand, with little room for observation, questioning and reflection which could result in new insights. When we take a break and do something that we love, something that makes us feel good, something that diverts us from our deadline, then we allow space to expand and explore. The harder and more challenging taking a break may seem, the more frivolous you may deem it, the more necessary it is. No time for a massage? Do it. No time to go to the beach? Go. No time for meditation or an exercise class? Get still, or get moving – either way, just break the treadmill of activity. Wonderful things will emerge in this new space we create. Fortunately for me, walking Sushi is a much-needed time for relaxation in my day.
Lesson Two – many (most?) deadlines are not cast in stone. Often, they are self-imposed. If imposed by others, they may be negotiable. Sometimes they are set for no good reason, or for a reason that while valid at the time of the setting, is no longer relevant.
The word “deadline” carries with it the imagery of dread, lack of energy and aliveness. Questioning the timeline is always a good thing. You may still stick to the original timeline, but having asked the questions, it becomes a conscious choice – not something you are being railroaded into. It becomes a live-line! I can’t change the departure time for my flight, but by changing how I view the “deadline” it has brought clarity about my real priorities. All of a sudden, my list has shrunk, and I am feeling my stress level sink significantly!
Try shifting your paradigm from deadline to “live-line”. You will likely find that you get your tasks done, your goal accomplished, AND with a sense of joy, ease, grace and vitality.
