"Smile, Breathe, and Go Slowly"

Say it again: "Smile, Breathe, and Go Slowly". I think I've found my new mantra. This is a quote by a Vietnamese monk named Thich Nhat Hanh, and I swear I relaxed a little the first time I read it. I haven't found those ten minutes to meditate during the day, but perhaps I can take a minute here or there throughout the day to refocus, and I think this quote will help.

Last week, I was making dinner, and while things were cooking, I was also trying to make the boy's lunch for the next day. Oh, and I thought I'd just clean a couple dishes real quick as well. The oven timer went off, and I quickly turned off the oven, but I got distracted and neglected to take out my asparagus. Ten minutes later I realized it, discovering that I had ruined dinner. I was beyond frustrated. And then to highlight that I am a slow learner, I almost did it again a couple nights ago. (Thankfully, I didn't ruin dinner, but the quesadillas were a little crispier than intended.)

I need to remind myself to do things one at a time. Even as I type this post about my need to focus and avoid multi-tasking, I am multi-tasking. So I am going to slow down. Focus more on documenting my to-do list and then working through it one item at a time. My nighttime routine (that energy-sapping 5-8PM timeframe) definitely needs to be redefined as well. I haven't figured out how to change that yet - I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, I'm going to "Smile, Breathe, and Go Slowly".