I woke up this morning feeling a little weary. I had plans to get up early and take a Zumba class and then get a few hours of studying done before and after having lunch with a friend. I was running on just one cup of coffee after a restless night of sleep. I hadn't done my morning meditation or devotional reading. I cut my morning routine short to get to the gym by eight. It rained a lot the night before so the air was very humid. When I left for the gym shortly before eight, the outside temperature was already uncomfortable.
I started my morning workout already feeling overheated. As the Zumba class continued, I became more and more uncomfortable. Physically, I felt tired and I just couldn't bear getting hot and sweaty this early in the day. Halfway through the class, I decided to go back home. This is rare for me - usually I stick it out but today I just didn't have it in me.
In the past, I would have made myself finish the workout and be miserable. I would have forced myself to put the nose to the grindstone to get my to do list accomplished. I decided that I could cut myself a break. If I wasn't mentally into it, I likely wouldn't be very productive. In the long run, I'd get more done if I just honored my need to putter around the house for two hours before meeting my friend for lunch.
Our bodies tell us what we need. It's up to us to decide if we want to listen. I've learned in the past that if I don't pay attention to my body when it needs rest, it forces me to pay attention. This is usually when I get sick. Now instead of getting less done, I'm getting nothing done. So when I got back home, I meditated and read my self help book. I did a couple of small tasks around the house then I casually drank a second cup of coffee while reading a book for fun. I had a leisurely lunch with my friend which fed my soul. I ran some errands on the way home.
I used to measure my accomplishments by how many things I crossed off my to do list. Now, I measure my success by whether I got the most important things done and honored my need to rest when needed. I may not have accomplished as much today as originally planned but sometimes doing nothing is actually doing something. It's recharging your battery. It's letting your mind and body rest after a grueling travel day. It's resting a little today so tomorrow you can tackle the day with more energy. It's listening to what the nervous system is saying. It's being kind to yourself when you've got some things on your mind and it's keeping you up at night. It's touching base with a friend and remembering how awesome your life is turning out. It's remembering that you feel freer now than you ever have, in spite of the stressors that come with being self employed. It's just being sometimes and not doing.
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