I'm not one to quote Chinese philosophers, but man, it's hard to argue with that. I mention this because I'm at the tail end of five days of solitude here at the house. Tomorrow I'm flying to Minnesota to meet up with my wife and kids for the weekend. And I'll tell you, the silence at home has been equal parts strange and relaxing.
Well, I haven't been totally alone. The dog is here, and I've been talking to him. A lot. Most times, he'll shoot me a look like this:
That's an older photo of him, but you get the drift. "Dude, what are you babbling about and when is the rest of the family coming home?!?"
OK, back to the point. A big part of my motivation for starting this blog was to have some time to myself. It's too damn easy to get caught up in routines these days. Work at the office. Work at home. Coach Little League. Cut the grass. Make dinner. Take care of things for the kids. Help my wife with anything if she needs it. Start it all over again on Monday.
I don't want to confuse anyone. I believe it's my responsibility first and foremost to take care of my family and do whatever is necessary to be a provider. I love them and they're my reason for living. And hell, I like cooking, spending time in the yard and other things. But clearly I need to put some time aside for Joe a little more often.
So I'll put the question to you guys (if anyone is still listening). What do you do to make time for yourself? How do you take a break from life and just unwind? I know, it's a pretty basic question, but I want to hear what you guys do. Maybe I'll get some good ideas. Talk to you soon.
I created quarterly "YES DAY" holidays for myself. A day set aside that I can do something for myself and not have to justify it. Or sometimes I book a night in a hotel to eat pizza, read, paint or sleep. I also take myself out on dates, which are usually more fun.
ReplyDeleteGreat advice! I really like the quarterly holiday idea. I might have to add some of those to my calendar. Thanks!
ReplyDelete