Being Vs. Doing
I have been pretty busy lately. The good news is that I have finished up some projects that I had started quite a while ago and put on hold for whatever reason.
I noticed that some of the projects that I have been doing have been rather enjoyable, whereas, others are not quite so enjoyable to do and I have really struggled getting them done. I also noticed that sometimes the same project on a different day can vary on the enjoyment scale. What might have been enjoyable one day didn’t seem quite as enjoyable the next time I continued working on the project. Yes, I do realize that some projects and chores are just no fun at all (I am thinking of the ‘cleaning the bathroom’ chore that I absolutely hate) and others are just plain old fun (this always includes my ‘work’ as a massage therapist, but I do also like to work in my yard and mow the lawn.)
I wondered what the difference was–why something was more enjoyable than another and why was it that way certain times and not all the time. I have found that even working in my yard right now seems like not an awful lot of fun; I have been focusing on other projects, therefore, my yard hasn’t gotten a lot of attention lately. So I am putting it off and it doesn’t seem all that enjoyable right now. I know that when I do go out there to mow, my attention will be on other things that I haven’t had the time to do–trim the edges, weed the flower beds, clean out the pond–the list can go on and on. It all seems daunting to me right now. So I just keep putting it off.
But what if I change how I look at the whole thing. What if I got out there and just mow the lawn, paying attention and focusing just on the lawn and being present to that, instead of worrying about other things. I could focus on the fact that I am outside enjoying nature or I could just smell the fresh, cut grass or how brightly the sun is shining. There are a myriad of things that I could focus on outside that would help me stay present and in the moment. By doing this, I would not only actually be getting my lawn mowed, but I wouldn’t be worrying about all the other things I need to do. That way the project doesn’t seem quite so daunting and unmanageable (like it does right now). If I focus just on the lawn, then I don’t need to have 4-5 hours to work outside. Today, I could focus on the lawn (1 hour probably), tomorrow, I could focus on pulling weeds from 3 flowers beds (1 hour at the most); the next day, I could focus on cleaning the pond (1/2 hour).
The key, however, to any of these projects is to focus on one project and one project only. Stay present and stay in the moment with the project until it is complete–in other words, stop worrying about what else I need to do. Will it be easy to do??? Sometimes, especially when it is a project that I want to do. But I imagine that it is going to be far more difficult when it comes time to clean the bathroom. What can I do then? Focus on the fact that I will have a clean bathroom; the tub will be clean, the countertops will be clean, etc. Oh, how I do love a clean bathroom, I just don’t love cleaning it.
I often make myself a ‘To Do’ list of the projects that I would like to get done. So instead I have decided that my list will be a ‘To Be’ list. To be in the moment when I am working on that project or chore or something that needs to be done. I will ‘be present’ to the task at hand and not focus on what else I think needs to be done. When I have completed the project then I can ‘be present’ for the next one.
MY CHALLENGE TO YOU: Make your list a ‘To Be’ list instead of a To Do list. When you are working on something, focus on that until it is complete.
YOUR PARTNER IN AWARENESS AND HEALING,
Kathy