Today is the last day of my summer holiday and I will go back to school tomorrow. I have had a great time off so far in which I could appreciate other aspects of life without the pressure of work.
If I had stayed in the same school or if I knew what to prepare for the new school, my summer would not have been the same. Instead, I think I would have prepared as much as possible so that things could run smoothly during term time.
I am grateful for having been able to disconnect because nothing was expected from me throughout the summer. Instead, I truly enjoyed things such as reading, exercising, cooking, talking to my family and friends and learning basic piano skills. I had not noticed how rushed life was and how superficial I tend to be with these aspects of my life when I am busy.
I have also been analysing how much time things take, I often feel guilty at the end of the week because there are many personal things pending on my to-do list. However, these weeks have helped me to pay attention to how long things take and I have adjusted my expectations. This allowed me to say NO more easily to other things that seemed like commitments at first but were not.
Although I would like to take an extra course and learn a specific skill, I realised that my week is already busy. I could cramp this course if I really tried but I am now used to taking my time and to do things well. I asked myself this week: “why do I need to rush every single day?” The answer is… I don’t need to.
Perhaps the last years of my life have been fast-paced and understandably so. I worked and studied at the same time, I helped my family in their business, then I went back to university and did my PGCE and teacher training. I am glad I did all that and I enjoyed it but at this point, I want to enjoy the things I am doing. I just want to do a good job while I keep up with other personal duties and do them to the best of my ability because I consider them to be meaningful.
I am glad about the mindset I have at the moment, I am sure there will be a time where I get quite comfortable and have the capacity to say YES to more… but until then, this feels pretty comfortable.
All the best in the new school year! 🏫 📚 👩🏫
This post is day 14 of my #100DaysToOffload challenge. Visit 100daystooffload.com to get more info, or to get involved.