It’s funny how the better I get at judging the time it takes to do something, I still sometimes let my intentions get the best of me and make a to-do list that is more like a to-do series.

The complement to developing skills is learning how to give yourself grace when you fail.

Not that it’s “failing,” per se. Tonight I set for myself a rather ambitious to-do list based on the fact that I am excited about the future. I have a business course to start working my way through. This morning I signed up for a printmaking workshop, and realized that I need a comprehensive summer calendar to make sure that I can do all the things that I want to do this summer. (Weekends don’t just plan themselves!) There are also bills to pay, and chores to do, and Batfort HQ to set up, etc etc etc.

What I didn’t take into account was the fact that I was running around hosting a workshop at my day job today, so I am le tired. Tired enough to poop out on the couch after work and really hope that someone, somewhere would take pity on me and make dinner so I didn’t have to.

Needless to say, I will only be crossing one item off the list tonight.

Am I disappointed? Yes, a little.

But I’m also heartened. Past me would sometimes get very down on myself for not doing enough. Current me has realized that not everything can be done all at once, and sometimes the wiser choice is to rest.

Even so, that means making a concerted effort to do a little bit more tomorrow.

Grace, but still expectations. High expectations, but grace for when you have to live in the gap.

Two steps forward, one step back. The point is: forward.