Do you find yourself saying “Oh my word it’s [time of day] and I haven’t [list of things] yet!”
It’s 9am and I’ve only checked emails.
It’s 4pm and I haven’t finished the one thing I said I would do today
It’s Friday and I still have this that and the other to finish…
But time itself isn’t judging me.
I’m judging myself and finding me wanting – because I expected… what? Life to work out exactly as I planned? My to do list to magically not have anything else appear on it day by day, but stay exactly as it is until I finish things?
One of the benefits already of having moved to an island is the mindset of “sometimes things just don’t work out perfectly”.
Things like ferries which are delayed or cancelled because of a storm or high winds or ferry maintenance. Meaning I need to take a later one, or go another route which is longer.
Roads flooded from heavy rain, meaning I need to go round or take a different road (which takes longer).
Deliveries from certain companies which only go to the mainland, meaning I need to get creative about how to get it to the island.
Shops which have to shut early or can only be open certain hours, meaning I don’t have access to things in the same way I was used to.
Because I chose to move to the island, in my mind it’s entirely unacceptable for me to be annoyed or frustrated by any of these things. They’re how life works now. It’s the island tax I pay for those glorious views, for the slower pace of life and recognising that nature gets to have a say. We don’t get to rule over nature and make things go the way we want, have things arrive the day we want, go the road we planned to go on.
And the same thinking can apply to changes of plans, of whatever kind.
Now, this doesn’t let me off the hook for being distracted, having poor boundaries, or avoiding critical work so I can faff about with emails and Slack – feeling super productive but not achieving what I’d planned.
But equally, if I hit 10am and I didn’t quite achieve everything I’d hoped from 7am when I started early, as long as I did the best I could and adapted to what appeared on my work day…
…the clock isn’t the one judging me.
It’s not like I’m a fail because I didn’t start “crushing it” at 4am; there are days when you could skip an entire night of sleep and still not get everything done (not to mention the lack of brainpower I’d have without the right amount of rest!).
I actually find myself being amazed when things DO work out as planned. The ferry goes, the flight is on time, there’s not a massive amount of traffic. Or my adjustments work out – I find a way to get things delivered, and although it’s a bit later I get them eventually. And I reach 9am and achieved all the urgent items and a few bonus ones as well.
So I’m working on being a little friendlier with the clock – and not allowing it, or myself, to condemn me for where we’re at. We are where we are… so what do I do, or adjust, now?
