A few less balls

Perhaps as a result of my advancing age, I have been reflecting on various aspects of my life. For the last couple of years, I’ve been juggling what feels like a zillion balls in the air. And now I’d like a few less balls.

I knew it was getting to be a problem recently when I came to the realization that I actually had too many hobbies. If I was having trouble fitting all my hobbies into the week, where was I squeezing in work? And I have more than one job.

It’s fun to have a variety of activities in life – particularly if you have the attention span of a fruit fly (as I do). But the problem with doing a zillion things all at once is doing any of them well.

I’m somewhat of a perfectionist – or at least I beat the crap out of myself to do things well (or others…at the age of five I said to my swimming teacher, “I hate you!” because I couldn’t master the sidestroke).

And if I do something, I want to do it at least slightly above average. I’m not comfortable with “average.” And if I’m going to be crap, I’d rather not do it at all. Which is why I don’t play tennis. Or any other racquet sport – or frankly anything that involves hand-to-eye coordination. Including bowling. But I digress.

The other thing my advancing age has made all too clear is that we really DON’T have all the time in the world. So if I don’t have all the time in the world, I truly don’t want to spend time doing things I don’t really want to do. And some of those balls were things I got myself into, or volunteered for, or said yes to when in fact, I really didn’t want to do them.

I suppose sometimes I agree to things out of guilt, or a sense of duty (which is really just guilt in a grander guise), but at the end of the day, no matter what the outcome, it generally makes me resent the thing I’m doing.

So I am currently in the process of eliminating balls.

I must tell you that although it’s scary at first – and slightly painful during the process, it feels so great after you’re done. Just like bikini waxing!

I am bikini-waxing my life. I am eliminating those tasks I really don’t enjoy – or aren’t that productive or lucrative.  I’m going to focus on one job. I’m not signing up for the next belly dance session. I’m not volunteering to organize any more baby showers, so DO NOT ASK ME.

I remember weekends years ago where I actually had the time to sit and read cookbooks. WTF? How did I get to that point – or this one? And how can I go back? I guess I was living in a smaller place, so there wasn’t so much to clean. And I didn’t have access to so many leisure activities. But I remember Sundays during that time where the most pressing engagement was sticking the roast in the oven. Dang. Now I have so many little projects on my mind I can hardly sleep.  What have I done to myself?

Well I’m going to undo it. And keep my hands on the balls that matter.

Having problems with your balls? Send  me an email. And for more wit and wisdom, check out my book.