Balancing Act

This picture, taken by my spouse, is emblematic of the craziness of our lives this past few months. So many balls up in the air, so many commitments, so many opportunities, so many tasks filling up our daily To-Do lists. While there’s a thrill to being so busy, there’s also this dreaded sense of “dropping the ball” when urgent tasks take precedence.

I use an excellent Task Management system, Hiveminder, and I diligently update my GoogleCalendar to keep myself organized. But there are some days I wish I could just let all of that go, and just be for awhile without tasks pressing down on all sides. I worry sometimes about the stress of doing so much, but then I realize that I need to keep up the momentum if I hope to be competitive on the job market. There are articles to write, dissertation revisions to make, emails to be written, and a pile of papers that needs my attention. I also insure that I exercise daily and eat well–knowing that my health should be at the top of my personal priorities. But some days by the time I’ve done my laps in the pool, cooked meals, and worked for 8 hours….there’s just nothing left for family, friends, or my self.

*Picture by John Remy, used with permission.