Learning to pace yourself

Slow and steady wins the race.
 -Robert Lloyd

Don 't hurry. Don't worry. You're only here for a short visit. So don't forget to stop and smell the roses.
 - Walter Hagen



Last night I was a little naughty.  I stayed up until 2 in the morning reading a book that I couldn't put down.  the book was Suspense and Sensibility by Carrie Bebris.  I woke up in the morning at my regular time feeling exhausted.  After eating breakfast, I ended up going back to sleep for a little bit.

I know that we all sometimes have trouble stopping an activity that we enjoy, but learning to pace myself and enjoying in moderation would have been the wisest choice.  Plus, I would have had more of the book to enjoy at another night.  Lucky I have one more book from my birthday stash to read, as well as a library close by.


I also had a conversation last week about taking regular breaks when you are working.  My friend suggested 40 min. work with 20 min. break.  They have actually proven that even though these are slightly longer breaks, the times you are working are more focused and you get more done.  You can do a great deal in 20 min.  It would almost be like finding time for yourself during your work day too!  She mentioned that during the down times, your brain is still churning about the work in the background, so if you are stuck on something, take a small break, and when you come back, you might have the solution popped up all of a sudden.  I think I will try this type of pacing during my next big work week.

Pacing yourself can also mean scheduling batches of work over longer periods of time.  This works really well if you have a plan with different phases.  Of course this means that you need to come face to face with your procrastination demon.  You will not be able to pace yourself and meet your deadlines in life if you wait until the last minute and cram all the work into a smaller amount of time. 

Getting back to my morning, I decided to make myself do my daily workout regardless, no excuses for me.  I ended up doing the killer, but fun, Kettlebell Cardio Balanced.  Holy cow.  I feel pretty worked out from head to toe and ready for another nap.  I'm glad I managed to get through it.  It's a 40 min. cardio with a 7 min. tone and stretch session.  If you like an all around workout, this is a really good one.

I think the reason I managed to get through this workout is because I paced myself.  I did take a couple of breaks, pause action, and then went right back into it after a quick breather.  I think my taking the time outs made all the difference.  

So I continue to live and learn, and I do hope I can learn how to pace myself better in all that I do. 

SDF:O)