My first question is, have you gotten your meds straightened out yet? Maybe you've discussed this on twitter already but I have missed most of the past 4 days due to driving with my daughter from San Antonio to Reno. And speaking of planning, other than needing to arrive by today so I can fly back home tomorrow, it was very much off the beaten path and just averaging how far we needed to travel each day. That can be fun in small doses but not all the time. Even if you have to adapt your plan, having one in the first place helps tremendously.
I need a wall size print of the reminder about multi-tasking 😐 And yes, time blindness is probably the most difficult challenge my ADHD brain has. Feh.
Hitting 60 this year and my energy level hits “walls” now like it never use to. I’m trying to be patient with myself and adjust to not being able just to “push through”. This gives me great food for thought Mike - thank you!
Finally. I feel like this is a HUGE step forward. Ironic, no? Still growing! Having the humility to accept [the need to] change is a vast achievement, imo. Know that you are loved. Thank you for all you do, and for taking care of yourself. You’re important to us, whatever you do. However and whenever you do it. Just breathe. You’ve already given us SO so much. Thank you. ♥️
Isn't it the irony that when we need to plan the most, is when we have (or perceive we have!) the least TIME to plan? And the other irony is that we WOULD have time to plan if we took time to plan in the first place? I have often been in a position of travelling away from home to somewhere where there are no shops, no internet, and no quick way of returning to those things (short of helicopter emergency rescue!) On those occasions planning was/is vital, and also when fully committed to attending meetings, writing newsletters, planning training etc. But you can't plan if your mental tank is empty, so there has to be down-time in the plan, and flexibility to know things will (almost) ALWAYS not go to plan! In other words, yeah - you're right!
Thanks for the update. I can relate to that. Please do what you need to do for yourself and don't worry about owing us any particular story. Maybe you need to table the MoP hard stuff and save it for a book? You shared how hard it was going back and writing about the pain. Maybe that's all your heart can take right now. It's ok to change plans.
Thank you for the community you are growing here. This is a random idea but, if you ever feel like it, you could post a topic and say "talk amongst yourselves" aka that old Saturday Night Live Coffee Talk skit. I think we'd behave in the comments (plus there is always an option to report a problem in Substack if some troll came over). It would be a way for your readers to stay engaged while you rested. Just a thought.
I like this little lesson in ‘the power of pause’. Somehow people feel it’s just putting on the brakes and for the most part it is. There’s another application to pause, the highway sign for ‘slow down, construction ahead.’ What’s great is you’re able to read the signals of road.
BTW as I was reading your story I have John Fogerty’s song ‘Lodi’ playing in my head. Good night and sweet dreams.
Throughout my career I've tried to live the lesson of the old bull and the young bull and, for the most part, it's worked out. I'm still doing the job when many in my peer group have moved on because they revved their engines too much and for too long.
I function most days like the caffeinated spider from that study, web assembled all janky and tangled with my tiny spider head spinning at the end of the day, so I have zero advice of value, but I hope your road cooperates and it's smooth sailing making your next ETA.
I hear you! During my "working" life I was usually also a fully committed "volunteer" at one group or another, so having ALL DAY & ALL NIGHT largely unstructured time used to make me feel guilty, like I should be DOING something other than walking, gardening, reading, catching up on TV series I've missed etc. It niggles away sometimes, but I'm usually so "busy" walking, gardening, reading, catching up on TV series etc. that I can't fit everything in! (also of course routine family stuff - that goes without saying?) So, basically too busy to worry about it now ...
I also read a lot since I retired. I used to read novels only when I was on vacation. I do not feel as if I am in Nowheresville most of the time. I do my chores and spend 3 hours a week doing Swedish death cleaning. If I feel stagnant, I try a new author in a different genre. I am grateful my vision allows to read and escape into other worlds. I spent most of my life relying on adrenaline to meet deadlines and going short on sleep. It is a luxury to read.
My first question is, have you gotten your meds straightened out yet? Maybe you've discussed this on twitter already but I have missed most of the past 4 days due to driving with my daughter from San Antonio to Reno. And speaking of planning, other than needing to arrive by today so I can fly back home tomorrow, it was very much off the beaten path and just averaging how far we needed to travel each day. That can be fun in small doses but not all the time. Even if you have to adapt your plan, having one in the first place helps tremendously.
I need a wall size print of the reminder about multi-tasking 😐 And yes, time blindness is probably the most difficult challenge my ADHD brain has. Feh.
Hitting 60 this year and my energy level hits “walls” now like it never use to. I’m trying to be patient with myself and adjust to not being able just to “push through”. This gives me great food for thought Mike - thank you!
I’m reminded of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s words: “Its the not the Destination, It's the journey.” The journey can surely feel bumpy, though.
Finally. I feel like this is a HUGE step forward. Ironic, no? Still growing! Having the humility to accept [the need to] change is a vast achievement, imo. Know that you are loved. Thank you for all you do, and for taking care of yourself. You’re important to us, whatever you do. However and whenever you do it. Just breathe. You’ve already given us SO so much. Thank you. ♥️
Isn't it the irony that when we need to plan the most, is when we have (or perceive we have!) the least TIME to plan? And the other irony is that we WOULD have time to plan if we took time to plan in the first place? I have often been in a position of travelling away from home to somewhere where there are no shops, no internet, and no quick way of returning to those things (short of helicopter emergency rescue!) On those occasions planning was/is vital, and also when fully committed to attending meetings, writing newsletters, planning training etc. But you can't plan if your mental tank is empty, so there has to be down-time in the plan, and flexibility to know things will (almost) ALWAYS not go to plan! In other words, yeah - you're right!
Thanks for the update. I can relate to that. Please do what you need to do for yourself and don't worry about owing us any particular story. Maybe you need to table the MoP hard stuff and save it for a book? You shared how hard it was going back and writing about the pain. Maybe that's all your heart can take right now. It's ok to change plans.
Thank you for the community you are growing here. This is a random idea but, if you ever feel like it, you could post a topic and say "talk amongst yourselves" aka that old Saturday Night Live Coffee Talk skit. I think we'd behave in the comments (plus there is always an option to report a problem in Substack if some troll came over). It would be a way for your readers to stay engaged while you rested. Just a thought.
I guess I really should have used "à la" instead of aka but same gist
I like this little lesson in ‘the power of pause’. Somehow people feel it’s just putting on the brakes and for the most part it is. There’s another application to pause, the highway sign for ‘slow down, construction ahead.’ What’s great is you’re able to read the signals of road.
BTW as I was reading your story I have John Fogerty’s song ‘Lodi’ playing in my head. Good night and sweet dreams.
Going right to the heart of "change the things I can."
More power to you, HW. More rest-and-plan time, as well.
Throughout my career I've tried to live the lesson of the old bull and the young bull and, for the most part, it's worked out. I'm still doing the job when many in my peer group have moved on because they revved their engines too much and for too long.
Sounds like you need a holiday in a remote cabin by a fishing lake with no social media or interaction with the world at all.
I function most days like the caffeinated spider from that study, web assembled all janky and tangled with my tiny spider head spinning at the end of the day, so I have zero advice of value, but I hope your road cooperates and it's smooth sailing making your next ETA.
There’s a saying I try to live by:
“Be gentle with yourself.
You’re doing the best you can.”
Be gentle with yourself 🙂
I don’t know why, but this post made me anxious (er). I’m retired and I now read a lot, which is good, but I often feel like I’m stagnant.
Maybe I’m in Nowhereville.
I hear you! During my "working" life I was usually also a fully committed "volunteer" at one group or another, so having ALL DAY & ALL NIGHT largely unstructured time used to make me feel guilty, like I should be DOING something other than walking, gardening, reading, catching up on TV series I've missed etc. It niggles away sometimes, but I'm usually so "busy" walking, gardening, reading, catching up on TV series etc. that I can't fit everything in! (also of course routine family stuff - that goes without saying?) So, basically too busy to worry about it now ...
I also read a lot since I retired. I used to read novels only when I was on vacation. I do not feel as if I am in Nowheresville most of the time. I do my chores and spend 3 hours a week doing Swedish death cleaning. If I feel stagnant, I try a new author in a different genre. I am grateful my vision allows to read and escape into other worlds. I spent most of my life relying on adrenaline to meet deadlines and going short on sleep. It is a luxury to read.
It is a luxury.
Thank you!
Two of my favorite sayings relate to this.
" When you are most in a hurry, slow down."
"The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get.:
I think you need this song! https://youtu.be/k-Xa8Gpan4o