Overbooked

 Heading into the final week of May, I'm coming off a three-week stretch where I didn't have a single weekday without an appointment or obligation -- my definition of overbooked. Yes, I know this is a very lenient definition, and going one week like that is do-able (and often the norm). But, when this compounds over a period of weeks, it makes me feel tense, stressed, and unprepared to cope with the (inevitable) unexpected occurrences.

Don't get me wrong -- some of these obligations were very good ones -- the wrap-up of a semester, attending a writing conference, going for a much-needed massage -- but I know myself well enough to know that I work best when I have at least one (preferably two) days a week with no obligations beyond my own to-do list. Appointments (even the good ones) are often like a blemish on the pristine white page of my planner -- the things that force me to put on the brakes and change course, interrupting flow, progress, and serenity.

Happily, I'm heading into a long weekend. I spent much of today clearing the decks as much as possible so I could kick off next week with some peace and serenity.

And yet...

A quick glance at next week's calendar reveals that I just scheduled a doctor's appointment into the one day I'll have the house to myself.

Okay, June. You're up.