ocd tendencies, part deux.......
Here it is, 2:00 in the afternoon, me still in jammies, and a pile of challenges ahead. It was a slow day at the catering kitchen, so all I had to do was man the office (at home). If I had my druthers, I would say goodbye to the pile of orders that need typing, and laze the afternoon away. It would be a great day for an hour or two snooze, a long luxurious candle lit bath, and some great tunes in the background. No phones, no interruptions whatsoever.
But no. I have tasks to meet, and an OCD monster to feed. I managed to keep the beast under control, as it was pre-occupied with a early phone call (that lasted 3 hours), but by noon, the pussy cat turned into a lion for food. Properly fed, it now roars for order. You see, I can get so sidetracked easily.... especially when there is much to do. But then I run across mornings like this, and think: so what? So what if the laundry doesn't get done for one day? So what if the dishes sit stacked in the dishwasher? So what if I can write my name across the windowsill? So what..... yadda, yadda, yadda........ Don't I deserve a day off? (Well, not completely off, as I still answer the office phone. At least I don't have to get fru-frued up for it.) By the time I finally see the essence of the closing arguments from the angel/devil on my both shoulders, I hedged all that time getting into the afternoon.... still in jammies. I haven't really accomplished anything, and I am one to not be able to end the day with the Chore List not completed. I'm not OCD enough to discount sickness, but laziness is a poor excuse. And this morning, I was laaaaazy. Still in jammies, here.... and it's 2:45. That's lazy. Well, the little devil guy said it was ok, yes? Yes! Of course the angel is beckoning from the other side, and reasoning with me that it's ok to take some time off.... but there are chores to be done. Such a pickle!
I'll have to think about this, and maybe get some things done so I can appease both sides. Thank goodness we no longer have to beat our clothes on rocks to get them clean, at least the washing machine can do the work while I multitask in some other area.
I hope you all have been well, and know I that I miss reading and commenting more on your blogs. If I can get past all that IRS stuff I need to pull together for the CPA (personal and business), I can get back on track. Since I had friends who visited from New Hampshire last weekend, the house is still clean (except for a little dusting and vacuuming), and the gardens were put in, and doing nicely. The business is plodding along, and calls are starting to come in after the small hiatus of Christmas. Peoples diet plans are waning, and meetings are being rescheduled. Hooray for funds!
Oh..... geez.... the monster is calling. Blasted chores! Well, who better than me...... the person loaded with OCD tendencies.
xo~
posted by Ellen at 3:10 PM
9 Comments:
Hi Ellen...........
It sounds like you veer to the very neat and orderly spectrum......it all has to be done before one can relax? And if it's not done, one cannot stop thinking about it? That's a tough one to overcome.
I believe we all have times in our lives (sometimes all our lives) when OCD kicks in, often as a conduit to finding control in our lives. Consequently it arrives during times of stress and then continues on even when the stress is gone.
Right now..........I'm completely obsessed with writing and i know it's driving my family crazy. It is also biting into my workday and my productivity. As well......many of the tasks and activities I was interested in have fallen to the wayside......... right now, I try to find balance..........sometimes. Other times......well......the writing takes over....
Hi there, you deserve a laazy day. Did I underscore "Deserve"? Have a great weekend. :)
i'm sure the angel prevailed over the devil most of the time ! that's the nature of having your own biz and being yer own boss !
awareness~
I really am a lot more reformed than I used to be, and couldn't go a day without cleaning the house. Now the responsibilities of owning a business, et al, can be overwhelming to the point that sometimes I just say, "the hell with it"... and go off to take a nap. I'm finally smart enough to listen to the right voices to know when I need to stop.... but it took a while in distinguishing the correct advice. It doesn't happen as much as I'd like it to, but then I take stock in the fact that I will allow myself an odd day of it.... and play catch-up later. Luckily, I'm pretty fast (and guilt-laden: the great equalizer) when I need to be.
As for your writing.... what an inspiration you bring with your observances. I learn a lot from you, and the beauty of your stories. I also wonder how you balance so much, but know you are an artist with words, and a voice of deeper meaning in life. I wish I had your energy. Don't ever give up on the fact that you should be in print.
On the other hand, I can completely understand the family/ work aspect. You want to give everything in your life equal balance.... but the muses call, and the song of the sirens is hard to quell.
Take care~ xo
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skye & maria~
Thanks so much. Underscoring does makes the soundest arguement when the devil shoulder is talking as well. I needed the second opinion, and appreciate you weighing in.
xo~
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john~
Yes. Guilty as charged. The angel prevailed most of the day, and I actually felt better for feeling accomplished by sundown. Thank goodness for appliances... such a lifesaver, and great multitasking tools. Not to say the devil shoulder wasn't coming up with wonderful reasons of his own....
xo~
Hey El...I send you hugs! You've got the OCD monster to feed...I'm struggling with a form of ADD it seems. Oh...shiney objects....
hi......thank you my friend. My energy does wax and wane more than I want it to.....most likely because I don't have balance. The thing with the writing is that I am more often in my head thinking than fully paying attention........I am a details person normally and always relied on my memory to store lists and tasks and bit and pieces of info (dates, times, schedules blah dee blah stuff)WELL! Guess what got shoved out my ears??
Needless to say, my family was at a loss because I wasn't the family keeper of useless but pertinent daily information anymore. AND I didn't want to be..........
So........sometimes we run out of toilet paper......sometimes I forget to send hot lunch money.......sometimes I miss an appointment or forget to schedule one.....AND most times I get home from the grocery store only to find I have forgotten a key ingredient.....ah but I have written a blog piece in my head while shopping!! heehee..........the sirens call........and I love it.
k.~
I read about your obsession with shiny objects... too funny! Yes, those OCD and ADD monsters can really overtake us... being the loudest voice in our heads. How to extinquish them is another matter entirely. And then sometimes, you just gotta go for it, or you'll want twice as much the next time around. Good luck, sweetie!
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awareness~
Without that all important grocery list, I find myself doing the same thing many times over... and most times I usually rely on my head for the needed items. Not a good thing, as I get too distracted in the grocery store.... or in my case, the grocery warehouse. Yes, it is a regular store, but the aisles are so packed, and the store so huge.... far too many temptations for someone so easily distracted as me.
I often write a lot of things in my head as well, but can never piece the stories together to have it come out coherent enough for print. I start many posts, and throw them into the save file, hoping that I'll get back to them with more info.... or at least some glue to put it together without the story wandering off in a hundred different directions. Then the phone rings with a million changes to orders I've already set up, and my time for the day is lost in redo's. Multitasking only goes so far with me, and then I throw my hands up in the air and tell everyone that I can only juggle 10 things at a time, and they are number 11... even if it's family. Thank goodness my son is well trained in some of the mundane stuff that would be considered "Mom's" work, and can be very helpful when I'm at my wits end. I was smart enough to teach him how to do laundry, shopping, vacuming, and scrubbing the bathroom. It helps to keep some of my OCD monsters at bay to turn the chores over to him. Now if I could just get him to write a few posts.....
Ellen - I'll trade jobs with you in a heartbeat. The restless OCD monster is getting to me!
And taxes? Oh don't remind me!
Ugh!
Peace & Hugs,
- Neo
Don't feel bad, at 2 pm I'm usually still hitting the snooze button...
It's 2:46 am now, (time to get out of work, but I'm off today) n I'm just starting daily duties. I tried to relax earlier, but dumped some juice on the floor, time to wash the floor... the baseboard is dusty, on n on! Not very relaxing- but sometimes very needed (the resting)!
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