Why I’m Failing at Doing Nothing… and Doing Anything
Tales of a girl always on the Go, Go, Go
Last fall, I wrote a piece about the importance of boredom. Why “doing nothing” is healthy and necessary.
My recent lifestyle choices have not reflected this importance at all. As a college senior, I feel like I’m living the time schedule of some wannabe hotshot and it’s reflective in other areas of my life. Like the fact that I haven’t sat down to write in a month.
Let’s take a look at my end of March and beginning of April, as an example. In that time frame, here’s a list of where I slept (not where you saw that list going!):
Wednesday, March 27: Overnight bus to Nashville
Thursday, March 28: Nashville hostel
Friday, March 29: Nashville hostel
Saturday, March 30: Overnight bus to Chicago
Sunday, March 31: My own bed!
Monday, April 1: Half overnight flight to Las Vegas, and half Planet Hollywood bed
Tuesday, April 2: Overnight flight to Chicago
For those keeping score, that’s sleeping upright 3.5/7 nights. 50% of the time! And only 1 night was in my own bed.
Oh, and I drove to Minneapolis the following weekend. And drove to Michigan this past weekend. The weekend in between that, I spent more time traveling to and from my improv classes and improv shows than I did asleep.
What am I doing?
That’s a question I ask myself when I look at my schedule, and also a question I ask myself when I’m doing nothing.
It’s so hard to find a balance. Being a college senior has made me feel an inexplicable urge to take advantage of every opportunity thrown my way. I don’t want to regret missing a thing — but operating at 100mph is exhausting. I find it increasingly difficult to get out of bed (when I do manage to sleep there) each morning.
When I have a free night, I reach out to friends to reconnect. That resulted in me throwing my first “party” and planning multiple others. I can’t wait for a movie on my couch alone anymore, I have to invite someone to do it with me.
I joined a cohort on campus to make new friends because the ones I have who I already don’t see regularly are apparently not enough. (They are, and I should treat them as such. But it’s hard to resist getting involved and meeting cool new people I might miss out on after I graduate!)
I signed up for 2 3-hour long, weekly improv classes starting next week because the 1 wasn’t enough. I’m flying to Denver soon, I’m flying home soon, I’m about to register for my 3rd half marathon.
I went to a Cubs game in the middle of a Friday afternoon last minute. I’m having a blast, but I’m also wondering about the cost. (Mentally and emotionally, that is. Literally, the cost is far too high according to my credit card statements.)
What am I doing? has become a serious question, and almost a serious problem.
This isn’t as much of an article as it is a rant, so I appreciate everyone who is reading for sticking with this “blog” style.
I’m determined to start writing more and ranting less, so here are the articles you can expect from me this week (if I publish this, I have to make that happen!!):
1. How my final class at Northwestern — Marriage 101 — is going so far and what I’m learning about myself!
2. My first ever solo trip to Nashville, where I got my first tattoo!
3. My review of the movie Us
4. Hunting for my first apartment
Dear Medium, please hold me accountable since I barely have time to hold myself together.
Make it this far? If you did, and you have any advice for me, drop it below.
