Exercise? vs Exercise!

What is it about exercise? I know I should do it. I know I need to do it. I know I have time to do it. But somehow, it rarely makes it to the top of my "to do" list.

Oh, I make a "to do" list, almost every day. What a sense of accomplishment I get as I check things off throughout the day. But even if I put "Exercise!" at the top of the list, I can spend an entire day avoiding it. I have even been know to add and check off additional "to do" items during the day if the list of remaining items is getting short. (A psychologist would probably have a field day with this little avoidance technique.)

I find a lot of worthwhile endeavors in life end up on the "need to do, but never get around to" list. Organizing the work bench in the basement or washing the windows certainly would be nice but clearly are a luxury I can live without. Five books sit on the shelf waiting to be read. I wonder how many times the library will let me continue to renew them? Three years of photos, stuffed in a bag, wait in my bedroom to be sorted into albums. Every now and again, the bag falls over - probably a cry for attention. I carefully prop it back into place and go about my day.

A shoebox full of notes and momentos, meant for my youngest child's baby book, seek my loving attention. This one is particularly sad as my "baby" turned 17 last week. Forget the poor misunderstood middle child syndrome, its the youngest that typically ends up short-changed on the baby book front. Why is life is so full of worthwhile "should do's" that never get done?

I am cruising through my "to do" list today. I've already checked off "submit newsletter article" and "set up networking lunch." Now I can check off "write blog." Since it's raining, I can even check wash car and water new grass seed off the list. Stay tuned folks - I am getting dangerously close to "Exercise!"