I love your to-do list and can relate to it because it has house care/repair mixed in with "real" work. Part of why it's hard for us to take a day off and really relax is because we work from home and must be self-motivated working independently. We have no boss and no division of work/home life. I don't do nearly as much paid "real" work as I did earlier in life, so in a sense I'm semi-retired, and yet my to-do list is daunting and I rarely really relax. I have filled up my free time with house care and volunteer obligations, along with animal care (filling my empty nest with animals). You'd think that someone like me who makes time to train for ultras has it easy, if I have that much time to get out on the trail, but that training time feels like an obligation and is time-pressed, too. I am making an effort to bookend my days with sitting and relaxing: reading a book for 20 to 30 minutes in the morning, watching a show with my husband at night. Anyway, thanks for your great column and I'm also glad you're publishing here on Substack too.
Get checked for endocarditis…I had low-level cold-ish symptoms for 4 months after heart surgery that were inexplicable & treatment-resistant until I had to have a re-do heart surgery which is when it was discovered…
Excellent piece that I (very unfortunately) relate to. I don’t have the MidWestern Lobe but have something related which means I have to do everything myself because a) I don’t trust anyone else to “do it right” and b) am afraid to ask for help in case person says no which will crush me like a boot on a walnut. My todo list looks like yours, if electronic, and is 247 items long.
How have I not realized you're on Substack until now?!
I love your to-do list and can relate to it because it has house care/repair mixed in with "real" work. Part of why it's hard for us to take a day off and really relax is because we work from home and must be self-motivated working independently. We have no boss and no division of work/home life. I don't do nearly as much paid "real" work as I did earlier in life, so in a sense I'm semi-retired, and yet my to-do list is daunting and I rarely really relax. I have filled up my free time with house care and volunteer obligations, along with animal care (filling my empty nest with animals). You'd think that someone like me who makes time to train for ultras has it easy, if I have that much time to get out on the trail, but that training time feels like an obligation and is time-pressed, too. I am making an effort to bookend my days with sitting and relaxing: reading a book for 20 to 30 minutes in the morning, watching a show with my husband at night. Anyway, thanks for your great column and I'm also glad you're publishing here on Substack too.
I feel like I'm going to be the same kind of semi-retired/retired person you are! Like somehow very busy even if I'm not doing capitalism.
I feel this right now...(maybe I should start forcing myself to watch movies)
I recommend it, and I am hoping to remember all this next time I get sick/exhausted/injured!
from a new reader… love this! thanks Brendan
Get checked for endocarditis…I had low-level cold-ish symptoms for 4 months after heart surgery that were inexplicable & treatment-resistant until I had to have a re-do heart surgery which is when it was discovered…
Excellent piece that I (very unfortunately) relate to. I don’t have the MidWestern Lobe but have something related which means I have to do everything myself because a) I don’t trust anyone else to “do it right” and b) am afraid to ask for help in case person says no which will crush me like a boot on a walnut. My todo list looks like yours, if electronic, and is 247 items long.