DISCIPLINE - Some Daily Tasks

I'm tired. I'm really feeling the schedule of the last few weeks. I added 30 hours of work per week as I decided to learn a bit about the dog kennel and day care business. This, combined with a huge 10-day event I will be a part of at the end of this month, has me working about 65-70 hours per week. This doesn't include the travel time and the set up time needed for one of my jobs, nor the mental fatigue that comes with learning something new. I'm also tired because all of my work is physical, and there just aren't any breaks in the action right now. I'm on my feet, and moving and sweating 12-13 hours each day. It's a great fitness program!

I AM NOT COMPLAINING. I feel very fortunate to have work, and to be capable of meeting the physical demands of it. I feel productive when I work any job, and learning new skills is interesting and fun. I know many people work this kind of schedule every day for 30 years, and I am not complaining. I'm just sharing that I'm tired.

When we're extra tired, some daily tasks don't get done. Sometimes it's because we simply don't have the time. Other times it's that we don't have the mental or physical stamina to complete the tasks. I have some immovable tasks, meaning no matter how busy or tired I am, these daily events must occur. They must occur.

The first is walking with my dogs. I am familiar with getting up at 6am and starting the work day at 7 or 8. Lately, my work day has begun at 6am which means I have to get up at 4:45am to give my dogs the bare minimum. Instead of walking our usual 45 or so minutes in the morning, we've been walking 20 minutes. The walking time has changed, but our routine has not. We get up. We walk. Let me tell you - my dogs are getting tired too!

The second is feeding. To save time in the morning, I set up their breakfasts the night before. Though my work often includes my dogs, I cannot include them in my new experiences yet. This means I'm seeing my dogs less. It is stressful for me. I miss them, and I feel badly about their getting less of my time and attention. Some people substitute food for time and love. I fully believe providing high quality food and supplements for my dogs is a way of showing affection, but I do not give them more food or treats than is healthy for them. Just because I am not able to give them as much of my time right now does not mean I will replace my attention with calories. Overfeeding dogs to compensate for interaction may resolve some people's guilt, but it is harmful to our dogs - it is the opposite of love in my opinion. So I am continuing with our usual routine of walking and feeding, and I am attempting to keep their lives predictable, comfortable and disciplined. I am trying to show my love by not altering their schedules even though I've really altered mine. I am missing them though...

A third life element I am not altering is my disciplined attitude toward using my dogs' seatbelts in the car. I'm worn out, and the three minutes it takes to put their harnesses on feels like an irritant sometimes, but I put them on, and attach them properly, because my dogs' safety isn't negotiable. I've heard owners say, "Oh, we're only four miles from home," as they let their dogs ride in the car with no safety restraint. I know an accident can happen anywhere, anytime, so I hook 'em up. It only takes like three minutes.

Tired and Seatbelted