Why is it that each day it seems like I’m speeding up…I feel like I need to go faster…and faster…and faster to catch up…when I really…really…really want to slow down…yes…now that I’ve reached the big 5-0 I want to take life a little slower…relax a little more than I used to…but I just don’t seem to be able to accomplish my goal.

My daughter arrived home for her college break the other day and was disappointed to find no food in the fridge. “Mom,” she said, “the fridge is EMPTY…dad used to keep it packed tight…and the freezer is EMPTY too.” “That’s because I don’t have time to shop…or sometimes even to eat,” I said. In fact, when I’m really busy…

– I eat hi-protein Balance bars when I should be eating a balanced meal…and now there is even Kellogg’s Special K protein powder that I can add to my water bottle…I have a sample packet but haven’t tried it yet.
– I eat grapes instead of apples…an apple takes too long to eat…no apples in my diet right now…no…I don’t have time to eat a whole apple at lunch…no time to stop and eat an apple…it’s easier to just pop some grapes in my mouth when I’m busy during the day.
– I drink V8 V-Fusion juice…which includes a full serving of fruits and a full serving of vegetables in each 8-ounce glass…I get two benefits instead of one…it’s a quick and nutritious way to drink and get one of my 5 servings of fruits and vegetables.
– Occasionally, I eat Cheerios cereal and milk bars too…it’s quicker to eat a cereal and milk bar than a bowl of cereal in the morning…and sometimes I eat a high fiber bar so I get my required amount of fiber in my diet.

I feel like I’ve learned how to pack more stuff into each day…yes…instead of trying to slow down…I’m learning how to cope to maintain a fast-paced lifestyle…last week, I bought five dresses in about 45 minutes…5 dresses (amazing that I found 5 dresses that fit me…and 5 dresses that I liked…actually, one was for my daughter’s formal…so I really bought 4 dresses and 1 additional dress…but I accomplished even more in less time.)…I ended up returning 3 of the dresses, but I was still ahead with two dresses for two different formal events.

I also decided that from now on I’m going to make a date to get more sleep…and besides…who needs 8 hours of sleep anymore…not me…I can’t sleep that long anymore anyway…I heard on the radio the other day that the average sleep a person gets these days is down to about 6 hours a night…I am down to about 4 hours a night…so once a week I make a date for my Lunesta night…that’s when I catch up on all the sleep I missed the entire week (well, maybe not the entire week…but I try…trying counts too.)

My new goal is to get a financial advisor to help me cope with my finances…yes…I need someone to help me with my finances now that my husband is gone…he used to manage our retirement funds and keep up with our finances…I don’t have time to do this job within the 24 hours of my day…it is too overwhelming…but if I get a financial advisor…he or she will make me do more work…he or she will want me to keep track of all my spending…not sure how I can fit this assignment into my 24 hour day…will have to think about this goal before I hire a financial advisor.

And tonight I have to turn back the clock…lose an hour in my 24 hour day…I don’t like this change-over day…especially when every single minute…of every single day…is so important…so important when I have a fast-paced life…will have to see how I cope tomorrow…now what should I take off my ‘to do’list for Sunday?

Judi