What does it mean to catch-up? Is it even possible to do? Can you, when meeting with family and friends you haven't seen in awhile go deep enough, fast enough to really feel caught up? And can you really catch up on your work, chores or obligations before they've been replaced by other work, chores and obligations?
One of my wonderful new colleagues said something the other day that really resonated with me. After a solitary and very productive weekend, she said something to the effect of, "My life experience has taught me that being caught up is a temporary state."
This got me wondering: What changes for us when we think about catching up as a dynamic moment in time, rather than as a goal to attain and maintain? What becomes possible when we focus on the steps we are taking towards being "caught up," rather than actually getting there?
And who do we want to be while we are trying to get caught up? If 'catching up' is a temporary, if not elusive, state, do we put our relationships on hold to get caught-up?
Letting go of our attachment to getting caught up is not about lowering our standards. It seems to be more about the interaction between doing and being. When the to-do list is finished (and let's face it, more often than not, it's not going to be), what will change for us? Is it possible to experience that change while in the process of getting caught-up?
These questions aren't just my thoughts around the theme of this post, they're the coaching exercise as well. Spend some time walking around with these questions. Do some journaling about them. I'd love to hear how you are answering them.
I used this portion of a favorite poem of mine in the last incarnation of this newsletter, but it seemed equally appropriate to use it to wrap up this discussion, too. Lucille Clifton wrote:
oh pray that what we want
is worth this running,
pray that what we're running
toward
is what we want.
RESOURCE
If what you need to catch up on is cleaning up / organizing your house, there is a website that might be of interest to you -- www.flylady.net. While her style isn't for everyone, Fly Lady's approach is to "quiet those negative voices that are beating you up constantly and replace them with a loving gentle voice that tells you that you are not behind and you can do this one BabyStep at a time." The first step in her 31-day plan? Clean your kitchen sink.
QUOTATIONS
"We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself." ~ Lloyd Alexander, children's book author
"It is easy to believe we are each waves and forget we are also the ocean." ~ Jon J. Muth, American comic artist
These questions aren't just my thoughts around the theme of this post, they're the coaching exercise as well. Spend some time walking around with these questions. Do some journaling about them. I'd love to hear how you are answering them.
I used this portion of a favorite poem of mine in the last incarnation of this newsletter, but it seemed equally appropriate to use it to wrap up this discussion, too. Lucille Clifton wrote:
oh pray that what we want
is worth this running,
pray that what we're running
toward
is what we want.
RESOURCE
If what you need to catch up on is cleaning up / organizing your house, there is a website that might be of interest to you -- www.flylady.net. While her style isn't for everyone, Fly Lady's approach is to "quiet those negative voices that are beating you up constantly and replace them with a loving gentle voice that tells you that you are not behind and you can do this one BabyStep at a time." The first step in her 31-day plan? Clean your kitchen sink.
QUOTATIONS
"Growth is the only evidence of life." ~ Cardinal Newman
"We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself." ~ Lloyd Alexander, children's book author
"It is easy to believe we are each waves and forget we are also the ocean." ~ Jon J. Muth, American comic artist
"I have found that if you love life, life will love you back." ~ Arthur Rubenstein, composer and pianist
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