Stay Afloat #SundayStills

What comes to mind when you think of floating? I bet it isn’t this bull frog below! After a recent visit to a frog loving friend who has a bull frog in her backyard pond, I knew I had the perfect picture for this week’s theme, afloat.

Perhaps you’re wondering if he’s sitting on a rock or lily pad. Nope, he’s just floating there watching and waiting for a snack to fly by.

Mentally Afloat

I also love floating in the water but staying afloat through the daily grind called life can be tough. I believe that being organized daily and prioritizing all things makes for a successful and productive day. That was especially true in my working years. Even though the lists seemed never ending, I always had a list.

Mark Twain’s quote below speaks to a strategy of how to get it all done by taking a bite out of the biggest task. Big could mean time commitment or just be more challenging.

If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first
Mark Twain

I believe he has stated my “afloat” strategy. If there’s a set of tasks to get done, there’s always one that’s more difficult or time consuming. I prefer to set out tackling the big one first. I may have a bunch of quick tasks but let’s knock out the big challenge first. That way I expend my mental and physical energy on the big, challenging task and can have easier tasks later in the day.

After making progress on the big “frog”, tackling the simpler and shorter tasks seem like a piece of cake. The simpler and shorter the task, the less mental energy it needs; sometimes that’s when the audio books are worthwhile or perhaps you enjoy cranking up some music and dancing like no one is watching. Those are the moments when I’m no longer just afloat but feel like a conquerer.

Energy and persistence conquer all things.
– Benjamin Franklin

Ways I Enjoy Floating

Even in retirement mode, I still keep tasks lists. It becomes especially helpful to make sure I don’t forget something with a future date. Although some tasks can be challenging, many are just simple. Even then I still appreciate getting the big task, aka frog, out of the way first then enjoying the rest of my day! Perhaps, I should say floating along peacefully.

Here’s a few on the water pictures floating in a raft, catamaran and kayak. Being on the water is one of my favorite things to do.