Get Angry, then Carry On.

My life is unpredictable, to say the least.  I've been out of commission for a few days, but my family and I are doing better.

I'm sure you have something in your life that throws you for a loop, harshes your mellow, screws up your life plan.  This is how I get back on my feet after life goes all crazycakes.

1.  The crazy happens.
2.  I make it worse.
3.  I feel sorry for myself.
4.  I mope, continuing to feel sorry for myself, deciding that I'm not going to get up at all.  If I do get up, I'm not the least bit productive, spending all my awake time staring at some kind of screen.
5.  After a length of time directly proportional to the severity of the insanity, I get pissed off.  I think, "Are you going to just sit there and be a bum when there's stuff to do?"
6.  I answer myself.  The answer is yes, yes I am going to just sit here.

I'd like to say I meditate, or say the serenity prayer, or give myself a pep talk.  I do none of these things, though I probably should.  Nope, I get mad.  I yell at myself.  If I'm doing well, it's all in my head.  If not, I probably scare the crap out of my husband, my cats, and my neighbors.  Then, I pick something in the house on which to direct my energy and attack it.  While I declare war on dirt, my husband helps when he can, stays out of the way otherwise, and makes sure I remember to eat.  He's really good at that.
Now I'm exhausted, still a bit irritated at myself, but I have really shiny floors.  There is no dust in my living room.  We have shrink wrapped the windows.  After a couple more days I'll have gotten over The Event and can examine things from a calmer distance.  Then I figure out what I can change to avoid the same problem in the future.

The most important part of the entire process happens at the very end.  It's happening as I type this, actually.  I forgive myself.  I have grand plans of perfection and orderliness which don't turn out how I want, and that is ok.  I don't have to be perfect, I only want to do the next right thing.  Now I'm going to admire my sparkly sparkly floors and go to bed.

-Abby