Sleep is not the most important thing. Or at least that’s what Martha Stewart said in an interview. “I find that when you have a real interest in life and a curious life, that sleep is not the most important thing,” said Martha.
For Martha, her curious life probably means that she wakes from a cold, dead sleep with her Inner Martha shouting, " I want an entire table filled with chocolate bunnies in glass bowls. And not the store bought kind. We will mold the chocolate bunnies ourselves and after lunch we will hand blow the glass bowls. Store bought is for savages!!!”
For me, my curious life of military marriage, FRG meetings, and planning committees means I have so much on my mind that my Inner Martha is telling me to run back into the house because I did not brush my teeth.
Everyone who is over-scheduled and frantic needs to stop listening to the more, more, MORE drive of his or her Inner Martha. After looking at my own life and realizing something needed to change, this is what my Inner Samantha has been telling me:
Limit how much time you spend overthinking. Give yourself an allotted amount of time for brainstorming and planning. Don't go over this time amount unless urgent. The best ideas come when you're not even trying.
Limit yourself to two kinds of things. There are two kinds of things: those that are necessary and/or bring you joy and those that don’t. If you find things that don't fit in those categories, ditch them.
Limit the busyness. Set aside quiet time. If you're a mom, this probably happens during naptime. If you can get away without distractions, this time can be great for emptying your mind.
Limit the stuff your brain needs to hold. Last week I found myself thinking about an event I want to host in… February! Let's just say that I have at least ten other events before that one that all need planning. Keep a note pad with you all the time. This way when you do think of something that is later, you can write it down, let it go, and come back to it when you need it.
I’m sure my Inner Samantha has a lot more smart stuff I need to do. If I could just duct tape my Inner Martha to a chair, I’m sure I could make some time to listen. Especially if that duct tape was covered with flowers. Or stuck together in the shape of a flower. Or bedecked with 600 flowers all made out of different kinds of duct tape....
Samantha Brinton is an Army wife of three years. Stationed overseas in Rose Barracks, Germany, Samantha experiences a different side to Army life. Volunteering as an executive board member of the Vilseck Community and Spouse’s Club, knocking out her European bucket list and freelancing as a photojournalist can be a puzzle she must constantly be tackling.
