What should I do today? Do you ever ask yourself: Does it matter what I do? What should I do?
When I made the decision to live a “Nature’s Guy” type of life, I don’t think I knew what I was getting myself into! There is SO MUCH to do! So much to experience! So much to think about!
This is especially true in pivot points in the year. Spring, for example, is a time of rapid change, of growth, of things happening all around us. During the past few days, I’ve literally found myself spinning, moving in several directions, trying to figure out what to do next.
Here’s an example:
The West Chickamauga Creek flooded, one of the worst floods of that creek in recorded history. No damage was done, but when that flooding happens, my property becomes an island. I have to drag my step-son through the water in a kayak, so we can get to cars on the other side of the flood, so he can get to school.
Of course, when that happens, there are new things going on in nature because of the flood. New birds are in the neighborhood.
New flowers and plants show up. I can see things I’ve seen before in a different perspective. Animals move differently and are seen differently than they were before (I saw a huge box turtle climbing up the hill. I didn’t even know they lived around here!).
- At the same time that all of this was going on, my garden — what I’d planted — started to bloom. The rest of the land practically begged me to plant it.
- At the same time, I got introduced to eBird.org, a great website that allows folks to input their bird viewings and photos.
- At the same time, a bunch of wildflowers and trees started blooming, causing me to ask more and more, “What is it?” questions and do more research.
- At the same time, my brother sent me a bunch of wildflower seeds.
- At the same time, I needed to fix my roof.
- At the same time, the upstairs water heater broke.
- At the same time, my father-in-law — who was stuck out at our house because of the flood — suggested that we trim back a bunch of trees so we could see the view all the way to the meadow and the trees along the creek.
- At the same time, I had to figure out how to deal with driving through the floodwaters (when they’d subsided enough that I could).
- At the same time, I volunteered to drive out to the road to get my neighbor’s grandbabies so she could babysit them.
- At the same time, the grass on my front is growing rapidly.
- At the same time, some of the flowers I planted under the eaves need to be watered.
You get the idea. There is SO MUCH TO DO! And you can get lost in trying to do it all.
Here’s what I’ve learned:
Don’t.
- Don’t try to do it all. Triage what’s vital, what’s important, what’s enjoyable and pleasurable, and what can wait. Then, do what you can.
- Each day, I decide what is most important THAT I CAN DO. Then I work on that.
- Then, I decide which things are wants instead of must do things. And I may or may not work on those things.
- Then, I also decide what things I can do that I will not be able to do again. Then I work on those things.
- Then, I also decide what things I can learn to do now, where it will take me a longer time to learn to do it, but once I learn it, subsequent times won’t take so long.
- Then, I also decide what things I’m worried about, that I just can’t (or shouldn’t) do right now. Then I write those things down and put them aside.
Here’s an example:
I needed to edit a book. (Part of the way you learn things like that is to look into your heart and feel what you’re supposed to do). So I did that.
Then, I knew that I wanted to clean the pantry, to go shopping, and to do a mushroom log and some wildflower planting. BUT, those things can wait.
Then, because of the flooding, I knew I needed to go check on one of my kayaks, to make certain it didn’t float away. So I did that. THEN, because of the flooding, there were new views and things to see that were unique to that moment. So I did that because I knew I wouldn’t have another chance.
Then, I thought about eBird.org, and the fun it would be to track birds I’d seen (which I enjoy doing anyway.) I knew that would take me a bit more time than usual (because I had to set up a profile and upload some bird photos I’d taken), BUT I also knew that, once I learned how to use the system, I could do it much more quickly and effectively.
Then, I realized that my father-in-law (who is in his mid-80s, so I won’t get the chance to work with him for many more years) had an idea to trim branches, cut down invasive privet trees, and create a better view from the house to the meadow and beyond. I also realized that he was probably going to go home tomorrow. So, because I wouldn’t get the chance to work with him for several more weeks, I took the opportunity — while he was here and while it was nice out — and we went and cleared A LOT of brush. And, let me tell you, for a guy in his mid-80s, that dude can WORK! I think we got about four times more done than had I just done it myself, and it was much more enjoyable!
Then, I realized that I needed to write thank you notes and to get the water heater fixed. However, I also realized that, even if I wrote the thank you notes, I couldn’t mail them (because of the flooding). AND even if I got the water heater repair guy on the phone, he couldn’t come out (because of the flooding). So I put those on a list and put them aside.
As a result of following that triage methodology, I got a lot done, I saw and experienced things I may never have the chance to see or experience again, I took care of what needed to be taken care of, AND I’m not worried about the things I didn’t get to.
Because, in the long run, it usually doesn’t matter WHAT you are doing, as long as you ARE doing something.
