Overscheduling and the consequences of rushing around

July 1, 8:34 PMSimple Living ExaminerSallie Schaaf Borrink

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A race against the clock from stock.xchng.com

Many people today wear it as a badge of honor to be excessively busy.  After all, someone who is busy must be important, right?  But overscheduling and racing from one commitment to the next has its consequences.

Linda Arnold recently recounted an experience with being overscheduled that made her step back and reassess her life. in Living Life Fully: The consequences of rushing around she writes:

I got a wakeup call last week when I had a car accident. Nothing serious -- just a fender-bender on the South Side Bridge.

But I know exactly why it happened. I was overscheduled (again) and rushing to get somewhere. 

"Life is too long to rush," my friend John told me. And I know this behavior definitely interferes with the quality of life I experience. Which goes against my mantra (and the title of this column) of "living life fully."

All of the rushing around takes its toll, and one way it's manifested for me is with my driving. I've had a lead foot from way back; and when I'm pressured, it gets heavier. So I've decided to heed the wakeup call -- and stop the insanity.

There is a definite balance in doing too much and doing too little.  In either direction the quality of a person's life will diminish.  A person who does too much will burn out eventually and will miss the opportunity to really savor and enjoy the present activity or moment.  The person who does too little will miss out on being a blessing to others and being an active part of the community, family or other group.  

Life is to long to rush.  Life is a marathon, not a sprint.  Avoiding the temptation to overschedule and race from one activity to the next is a good first start in running the marathon and finishing well.