It’s been a busy day.

By way of stupendously poor planning, I ended up having to do this week’s work, next week’s work, bake a birthday cake, volunteer at a school disco and get Mini to and from another school disco and still get all the usual day to day stuff done. (I am now the proud owner of a wall planner to avoid such disastrous planning in future.)

In the old days, my frustration and irritation would have started mounting at around 4 o’clock as I stared down the prospect of a late night of chores. By 7pm, I’d be feeling downright resentful about not being able to have a glass of wine and “just relax”.

Tonight, without the pull towards something I’d rather be doing I was able to focus and take my time (not that you’d know it to look at the cake – I probably should have just bought one!). The absence of the pull made everything feel easier and more enjoyable, which made me a heck of a lot more pleasant to be around than I would normally have been on nights like this.

It never occurred to me how much of my peace of mind and contentment I gave up in by seeking it outside myself. Tonight, I had a million things to do, no wine and no ‘down time’  and ended up more contented, calmer and more relaxed. Now just balloons and banners left to do.

Happy Friday!