Well, Pesach 5764 -- as lovely as it was -- has become
another entry in our collective memory bank. Now we are
sorting through our cookbooks for cheesecake recipes as we
pepare for Shavuos.
But wait. We are still holding within the period of counting
the Omer. Before we completely let go of Pesach, let's
briefly put ourselves back into the mode which guided us
through the hectic days of early Nissan. Wow! We really used
our time wisely, then. We got so much done!
Why can't we take a little bit of that pre-Pesach energy and
carry it into the rest of the year?
Just because we don't have the pressure of a deadline, we
don't have to goof off. I'm not saying we should stay up
night after night all year. Sleep deprivation is not good for
anyone. I'm also not suggesting that we take on more than we
can handle.
What I am trying to say is that most of us are capable
of accomplishing more than we do, and our early Nissan output
was proof of that. Each of us can try to squeeze one more
activity into each of our days -- and I'm sure we'll
succeed.
Maybe we could expand our spiritual horizons by listening to
one side of a taped Torah shiur each day. Perhaps we
could spend an extra fifteen minutes saying Tehillim.
Or we might be able to invest twenty minutes here and there
to tidy up the house, clean a section of one room or reduce
clutter. Think of the impact of those small blocks of time.
Fridays would be easier on the whole family.
We did it once. We can do it again.
I know families where the parents and older children got
together a week or so before Pesach and painted the whole
apartment. Other families marshaled all available hands to
scrub and polish every nook and cranny.
Now here we are, just weeks later, and what are we
accomplishing? If a toddler takes his cream cheese sandwich
and uses it to `paint' the wall, the greasy evidence may just
stay in place until after next Purim! Why not get a rag and
clean it right off? The same can be said for the fabric on
the dining room chairs, the walls in the stairwell outside
your apartment, the smatterings in the oven etc.
Here are some ways to use our time and energy more
efficiently all year. I'm sure that you can think of lots
more.
Buy a few pocket-size notebooks and keep them handy, along
with a pen. The top of the refrigerator is a good place.
Number each one.
Each time you use up the last of something, be it peanut
butter, plastic lunch bags or notebook paper, write it down
in the first notebook. That will become your running shopping
list. Take it with you when you go shopping, and then
remember to cross off the items and return it to the kitchen
when you get back home.
I know that when you squeezed out the very last of the shoe
polish on Friday afternoon, you were so conscious of the need
to buy another that you thought, "It's ridiculous to write it
down." Trust me. By the time you get to the store on
Wednesday night, that item will have flown right out of your
mind.
Use the second notebook for errands. If your husband's
Shabbos suit has to go to the dry cleaners, write it down.
When you drop off the suit, write an entry to remind you to
pick it up. If you have to go to the bank, pay a bill or mail
some letters, put it all down. Cross things off when they are
done. Review the list every day to see what is still
pending.
The last notebook is for great ideas that pop into
your mind while you are peeling potatoes, folding laundry or
doing any number of routine chores. Jot them down here. Did
your preschooler say something positively brilliant? Enter
that, too, in Notebook #3.
If you are a writer, these thoughts may provide you with your
next article. If you routinely call or write to your mother,
sister, aunt or cousin, reading over these inspirations and
anecdotes before dialing may be all it takes to turn you into
a much more interesting correspondent.
The worst-case scenario is that you will have a diary of
sorts to enjoy years from now.
There is a saying, "Nothing succeeds like success." If you
tap your hidden reserves of energy and accomplish a little
more today and then again tomorrow, you will see results.
That alone will be enough to encourage you to keep up the
good work.
I don't have much experience in the realm of psychology, but
over the years I have noticed that most people are more
willing to do something that was their idea than something
they are asked to do by someone else. Put on your thinking
cap and figure out what will work for you.
Do you want to learn more, get your house into better shape?
Or maybe, even do a little exercise to get yourself into
better shape?
Take the plunge: do something now, today, and then evaluate
the results. If you are on the right track, you will get a
good feeling about what you just did. If it wasn't a good
idea, there is always tomorrow to try something else.
Think back to your first job or the first year of your
marriage. You wanted to please your boss, or your husband, so
you spent a little extra time and devoted a little extra
attention to details. Whether it was typing a letter or
following a recipe, you tried your best to make it come out
right.
If you can't think of extra activities that would give you a
boost, maybe all that you need is to invest a little more of
your creative energy into improving whatever jobs you are
already doing. Maybe you could frost that cake you are
planning to bake for Shabbos or even learn some professional
cake decorating tricks that would make your usual repertoire
of cakes more of a hit with the family.
I was once in a bakery and noticed that the most elegant cake
in the display case was one with plain white icing and a
simple border of lace scallops `drawn' all around the edge
with chocolate syrup. It probably didn't take much training
to create the effect, but it certainly looked nice.
One last bit of advice, though. All of these new ideas are
great for Sunday through Thursday. We already have enough to
do on Fridays to keep our energy levels sky high. Remember:
the secret is to tap into our reserves of potential energy,
not to ratchet up the pressure. Enjoy!
