Willpower

Can I just say, thank GOD it is Friday. What a week it has been for me, both emotionally and physically. I'm ready for some downtime and looking forward to a productive work day and relaxing weekend. Although I had a moment of panic this morning when I went to make my good coffee (Churchill's Sinless Pastry) in my office and had none! I did scrounge around and manage to find a scoop left in another baggie in my snack drawer... whew - crisis averted!

Jace and I had a conversation the night before last that was humorous but has also stuck with me. It was nearly 10PM and he was in his bedroom, and supposed to be asleep. He had been playing his Nintendo DS (handheld video game) until lights out, and now was finding every reason in the book to still be up... a trip to the bathroom... a request for me to heat up his rice pillow...the boy has always taken forever to go to sleep! Needless to say, my patience was wearing thing. As I sat in the living room working on my laptop, he called from the bedroom:

J: Mom, will you come and take my DS out of my room?

Me: What?!?

J: I'm tempted to get it out and play it, so I want you to come and get it so I can't...

Me: No, just put it down by your bed - you'll be fine.

J: But Mom, please just come and get it!

Me: No, son -- its called WILLPOWER... you need to just MAKE yourself not play it and go to sleep! Besides, if I walk back there in a little bit and catch you playing it, you know you'll be grounded, so that should help your temptation!

My "mom logic" won out, and he did leave it alone and eventually fell asleep. As I finished up my evening, I chuckled to myself about his reasoning and how it rings true in my own life, and I'm SURE in many other peoples' as well.

How many times do we lack the willpower to do, or not do, something? Getting up in the morning to go work out? Where's my WILLPOWER to do that!? Or, lately, where's my willpower been when I get that Nestle slice and bake cookie dough out every night and make myself 18 cookies? (Ok, an exaggeration, but still...). Or at work, with our new job descriptions that all managers have to complete - I'm going to be working on them this weekend, because I procrastinated doing them a bit at a time over the last six weeks! I think right now I'm like Jace... I need a "Mom" moment, someone to come in and kick my tail into gear, so I will get back in the game!

Don't worry- I'm cutting myself some slack right now, and realizing that right now in my life I really don't HAVE to do everything right on time, or perfectly. But I need to find that happy medium, where I have SOME control, and I'm getting things done, but still giving myself a little leeway as well. It just takes time, I guess, and the self-awareness to realize where I am and that it is OKAY. Happy Friday to all, hope you have a wonderful weekend.