Bare Minimum

I think I have a problem. This week I am sick (yet again...or maybe still, not sure which.) So yesterday I decided that it was necessary to do the "bare minimum" to keep life afloat. This is in effort to improve my health and get some rest. But again I repeat, I have a problem.

Apparently my definition of the "bare minimum" includes: teaching full blown classes (not limiting my word count at all), reading aloud for a good thirty minutes during advisor base, coaching one of our newer teachers, dealing with a parent/student issue, grading at school until 5:30, coming home to make dinners and lunches, doing my normal Tuesday night cleaning routine, filling out 7 Valentine's Day cards, grading more until Herb came home, doing the dishes AND THEN heading for bed.

Does anyone see anything wrong with my definition of "bare minimum"? I fought with myself about this on the drive home yesterday. Should I still clean? Should I still make dinner? And my answers were resounding yeses because, if I don't do it now, when will it get done? It's not like my world stops spinning and I can just play catch up at some point. Nope, the assignments keep rolling in, people continue to frequent my house, and we still have to eat. So apparently I believe the "bare minimum" means everything that will pile up in my absence. Thus, I did everything that I would normally do yesterday. And I called this the "bare minimum".

I think this is a real problem. I can't talk myself into stopping to take care of myself or my health. Instead, I talk myself into keeping all of my balls in the air. Why can't I just let one drop? Why can't I just set all the balls down and pick them up when I feel better? I don't know! I just can't do it!

Needless to say I'm pretty sure I have a problem, and I'm pretty sure it starts with redefining my idea of the "bare minimum". What do you think?