A Night Not At the Opera

This is my annual post to kick-off the new year. Luckily, I didn't make a resolution to be on time since I'm already a few days late. Actually, I don't make resolutions. Instead, I try to let go of things that aren't making me happy.

For 2010, I'm letting go of my proclivity to schedule every minute, day and weekend. If there's a slot, I'll fill it. Even that's not enough for me. On the way a scheduled activity, I'll squeeze in a trip to Starbucks, then stop by Costco to return something. It's no wonder I get to the end of the day frazzled and frustrated by half started projects. This was especially apparent to me in the month of December when I was too exhausted to even blog. I had posts written in my head, photos to share. I just couldn't focus long enough to post.  I was simply overwhelmed and over-scheduled.  Overwhelmed by wonderful things, but overwhelmed nonetheless.

If there's one moment the symbolizes my over-scheduling problem in 2009, it was the night not at the opera. In 2009, we had season tickets to the opera for the first time. I've never had both the money to spend and partner who'd go to the opera with me.  I'm grateful for both.

I was really looking forward to the final opera of the season, Madama Butterfly. Unfortunately, I gave Steve the wrong date and he put the wrong date in his calendar.  On Friday the night before the show, I said I thought we had tickets.  He said, no next week.  I was pretty sure we had seats for Saturday, but I just couldn't get myself to get back in the car and go get the tickets out of my desk drawer.  I was home, exhausted and I already had my jammies on.  Steve always keeps a more accurate calendar than I do anyway.  The next day I started my Saturday grind - long run with the marathon team, something in the afternoon, etc...by the time I remembered to go and check the tickets it was Wednesday.  Butterfly floated away and we'd missed it.

A lot of things could have gotten us to that opera.  I could have checked the date before I gave it to Steve.  I could have put it correctly in my calendar.  I could have remembered to go to get the tickets after my Saturday run.  I didn't do any of that because I was simply overwhelmed, over-burdened, over-scheduled and damn near exhausted.

So that's what I'm going to let go of in 2010, my need to over-schedule and over commit.