What I've been thinking about today:

I find that my life consists of cycles. And I'm finding that it is much easier to view it in cycles versus accomplishments and finished projects. Because then I can feel good about accomplishing the cycles and not feel bad that the cycle must start over again.

Let me explain in more detail by listing some of the cycles I go through:

1. Life, in general is a cycle. You are born, you live, then die (although I don't believe that's the end).
2. Within that cycle, you go through the cycles of education, work, having children, retirement.
3. Each child/person is on his own schedule for the above mentioned cycles, so you are technically going through as many different cycles as there are close relationships in your life (and still interconnecting with other indirect relationships exponentially).
4. Yearly cycles of seasons, holidays, traveling.
5. Monthly cycles of tests, paychecks, and menstruation.
6. Weekly cycles of laundry, budgeting, shopping, consuming, religious practices, family time, vacuuming, mopping, organizing, weather.
7. Daily cycles of eating, bathing, sweeping, dishes, playing, sleeping, exercising, washing, working, checking email and blogs.
8. Hourly cycles of parenting, breathing, heart beats.
9. And then you could take it down to the atomic level and beyond if you know anything about that.

And many of these cycles happen simultaneously, weaving in and out of each other, interrupting each other.

So I guess all I'm saying is that I'm sick of beating myself up over half-done cycles and interrupted cycles. And I'm tired of worrying that once I've completed a cycle that someone might come along, eat something, and start a new cycle of dishes, etc. It is definitely easier to look at it as "Way to go, me! I just completed a cycle!" and calmly allow another cycle to begin.