Good Days

Enjoy the Moment: Check

Tonight I huffed and puffed my way through what would generously be called a one-mile run.  It was my first run in almost a month.  It was slow.  It was not pretty.

 

Today I focused on my job until my desk was clear.  I don’t remember the last time I powered through so many assignments.

 

This afternoon I finished an almost-final draft of my resume.  I feel good about its impending online publication.

 

I am in the process of doing my laundry.

 

I am coming back to life.

 

The last four weeks have been amazing.  I have blown off my family, ignored the gym, done the minimum at work, and favored friends over sleep.  My soul has been recharged at the expense of my waistline.  An unhealthy glow has crept over me.  Totally worth it.

 

But it is time to turn my attention back to reality.

 

This has been a week of lists.  I love marking things off of checklists.  The satisfaction propels me forward, yearning for the next hit of accomplishment.  Glorious.

 

In addition to all of my yellow Post-It lists at work, my friend Annie and I made a joint project list early in the week.  We have all of these ideas we keep saying we need to follow up on, so we put them on a shared list. And we have both been working on them.

 

I listed my need for a new job first, so I have brushed up the resume, met with a tech guy who can build me an online profile, arranged for a headshot (coincidentally got a hair cut and some fresh color), and started claiming usernames across the internet to help with my Google rankings.

 

Annie wants her house organized, so I bought her a new set of Tupperware and gave her permission to throw out all of the old stuff and start fresh, since that was the cupboard that bothered her most.  Today I brought over a friend who loves to organize and will help with the rest.

 

Annie knows I want to go on one date per month, so she set up a profile on Match.  All I had to do was sign in.  I still can’t believe she did all that work for me just because it was one of my goals.

 

Annie wants to start a non-profit together, so she started researching URLs and we found three other people who are willing to share their time and talents (including Jodi – awesome!).

 

Everything is moving forward.  I am moving forward.  Now that I have shaken off all that mud I feel like I have crested a hill and want to go running down the other side.  Each step that I take on all of these little projects makes me feel lighter.  I am building speed as I go.  And just like any workout, it is easier having company.  If I could I would invite everyone I know to join the list.  I have so many smart, talented, resourceful friends we could probably solve world hunger.  Maybe I’ll save that until we get everything crossed off of the current list….

 

I am so grateful for our list.  I love having directions.  The list gives me a path to follow, and the path looks so easy.  I’m not worried about what’s at the bottom of the hill.  I am just taking things one crossed-off step at a time.  I have help, and when I get bored with my list I have Annie’s to work on.

 

How did I never realize that life could be so simple and so fulfilling at the same time?  It doesn’t seem to matter whether the tasks I am completing are big or small.  I just find a way to do them, cross them off, and start to feel fantastic.  Sure, someday the list may lose its luster.  But right now it’s the greatest thing since the frozen pizza and takeout I’ve been living on lately.  And isn’t finding the upside of “right now” the whole point?