To Do, To Don't, To Try

Have you ever had a week that went by so quickly- but the events of the week seem like they happened a year ago?

That's what happened to me this week. Last weekend was Bedlam; it was a sweet 1-year-old birthday party. And I tell ya- those two events could have happened 8 months ago.

In the past seven days, I...

*Had a delicious girls' night Italian dinner

*Had my review at work

*Had a nice sushi dinner with a cute guy

*Went to my work Christmas party

*Held a newborn baby for 3 hours

*Braved the mall

*Ran many miles, biked many miles

Whew! Maybe that accounts for the shortage of blog posts?

I read this article by Michael Hyatt this week on the art of "trying" to do something.

He says, whatever that "something" is- either do it. Or don't do it. But don't just try.

At first read, that article stressed me out. It's hard to commit 100% to something. It's intimidating to go full force ahead into anything- whether it's committing to run a half marathon or test the waters of a new relationship.

But then the alternative- don't do it. That phrase rarely enters my thought process. I hate feeling like I didn't give something my all- or that I quit too early, possibly disappointing someone else- or myself. Ugh, quit- that word really is a tough one.

But on second read, the article was freeing. If you commit to something 100%- and you fail- you didn't really fail. You gave it your all.

And if you decide not to give something 100%- you decide it's not worth any percentage, actually- you're not failing. You're just deciding it's not something that adds to your life.

I'd argue that trying isn't all that bad. He gives a few examples... like are you trying to fix your marriage? Or are you fixing your marriage?

OK, I'll give him that one. But there are many things I try to do every day. I try to blog every day. I try to exercise every day. I try to have quiet time every day.

Sometimes it happens; sometimes it doesn't. It's not a failure in my book either way; it's the heart behind it that matters.

In my opinion? Let's do what we want and need to do to be happy. Let's not do the things that make us unhappy. And let's try to find some middle ground, too- because we're all just human.