The Opposite.

I am not very big on “resolutions.” Honestly, the “New Year” to my brain is in August. (Any other teachers feel this?) When reflecting on my year, I don’t really think: “I wish I did more.” The way my brain functions:

I exercise daily. (multiple times.)

I cook most meals at home.

We eat dinners together.

We pack lunches from home.

I have become closer to Jesus this year than I have ever been.

I love my teaching career.

My marriage is thriving.

Maybe just maybe my children are growing up enjoying their childhood.

I guess I can floss more and limit Starbucks?

I am 3. Can you tell?

My day is built around a mental checklist. I find myself going through the motions of life and constantly feeling “rushed” to get to the next strike off of the to do list that lives in my mind. I wake up each day around 4:50am, but still find myself a few minutes late to everything. I tell people daily: I am not late because I couldn’t get out of the bed. I am late because I tried to do too much in the time before I needed to be somewhere. I constantly live in the state of “HURRY.” I am even 2-3 minutes late taking my class to every place we need to be every day. In fact, I was recently called out by an 11 year old when I said, “Y’all. We gotta hurry. We are 3 minutes late to lunch every day!” To which she said, “Mrs. Cain, we have to be at lunch at 11:50, but you set the reading group timer to END at 11:50. Why don’t we set the timer to end at 11:47. Then we might be on time.” Silly 5th graders. Why are they so logical and smart?! And why do I not do this?

So I decided to do the opposite of “rush.” What is that? So I googled antonyms for “rush.”

It broke me.

Inactivity.

Laziness.

Lethargy.

Faintheartedness.

If I was to describe my biggest fears: To be seen as any of the above words.

Until 2025.

I plan to do the opposite of “rush.”

I won’t stop working hard. I won’t stop checking off that daily to do list. I won’t stop giving 100%.

I just won’t rush to do more.

I don’t want to spend 2025 in the constant state of “hurry.” My goal for 2025 is to eliminate the sense of constant RUSH.