Balancing to Zero

If someone had told me that I had to do all that I did this past weekend, I would have been some kind of grumpy. Instead, it was a weekend of perpetual motion. One activity segued perfectly into the next (and the next and the next) and it was well balanced weekend.

I delivered all of the Friday and Saturday flyers/papers on Friday. It felt heavenly to know that job was done and behind me for the weekend, before I went to sleep Friday night. Why don't I always do this? Well, perhaps -20 and -30 degree weather and (what feels like) unending darkness throughout the winter months played a factor. I will endeavor to make this become a habit.

I worked for three hours Saturday morning (cleaning for a friend) and five hours Sunday afternoon (bookkeeping). As much as I don't like the idea of committing a little bit of each weekend day to extra-curricular income earning activities, I must admit that this way was better. It kept the work:play ratio in balance.

I had time to 'play' after my work was done. Supper with a friend on Friday; I met my cousin for coffee Saturday afternoon; My Youngest and I went to a movie Saturday night; and I went out for supper with My Oldest Sunday night. Each activity was played by ear and the only plan that I knew in advance was changed from 'coffee' to 'supper' on the spur-of-the-moment.

I had enough time in the mornings to write. Just a bit. I have more columns due and I must sit down and do some serious writing soon. But this past weekend? At least I had enough time to let my fingers wander the keyboard and see where they wanted to go. Time to let my subconscious speak its mind ...

Thankfully I had few errands to tend. I bought groceries and put them away. That was enough! I washed a load of laundry and completed that small task. I tidied the kitchen and readied our world for my daycare family to reenter it this morning. Even the housework and errand-running tasks were kept in perfect harmony this past weekend.

Life maintained a sense of balance. A little work, a little play, time for family, time for friends, a few household items to tend and still enough time left over to write, to sleep and to watch the episode of "The Gilmore Girls" that I had taped on Friday.

In the world of bookkeeping, life is black and white. It is right or it is wrong. There are checks and balances. Your goal is to balance to zero. In my mind, this is the vision that I have of this past weekend. It was a weekend in perfect balance.

Now the challenge is to maintain that sense of balance to the week and weekend ahead ...