Lines in the sand as Christmas approaches

The racing carnivals are all over and I for one am looking forward to some beach weather.

Despite me not operating a seven-day-a-week business any more, my calendar from now until Christmas is full. Like most of us, the Christmas deadline is a line drawn in the sand and almost everything we should have done during the year needs to be completed by then. As I am writing, I can feel the pressure building.

This year, however, I have decided that instead of drawing an imaginary line in the sand and piling on unrealistic expectations, most of which are destined to fail, I am going to draw real lines in the sand of our glorious beaches.

That doesn’t mean I will give up on the tasks I have in mind; it just allows me to have some perspective. The sun will still rise if I don’t complete whatever tasks I set myself between now and the New Year.

So, all I need is some warmer weather and the motivation to find as much time for the beach as I seem to be able to find for work. This is often not easy. The warmer weather will come but motivation is difficult, particularly when we all seem to have so many commitments that inherently work against being able to take time to walk on the beach. (And when I say “walk on the beach”, this could mean different activities for others such as a round of golf, swimming, bushwalking, yoga, meditation, gym – you get the picture?)

I sometimes feel like the commitments I make is another life keeping me from what I really should be committed to.

Anyway, I think most of us feel this way sometimes and particularly at this time of the year. My food offering this week is something to prepare and store in the fridge on a regular basis. It is a minestrone detox soup espoused by the famous work/life balance speaker John Tickell, who has written extensively on the subject.

I’m not one to take much notice of the latest life balance/weight loss guru, but he seems to make some sensible suggestions on the subject. This soup tastes great and it will certainly make life a little easier, even if only to refuel between parties for the next few weeks.