Do you feel like you HAVE to do something constructive every day?

[katlupe]

I had a list of things I wanted to do today and I didn't do any of them. Colored and watched YT videos. Tomorrow is another day.........

 

[chic]

Yes. But I do have to. One day I won't have to. So for now, I'll do all the necessary stuff and relax when the time comes that I will have options.

 

[Babs2u]

Today I thought I would try to do a little yard work. I took my rollator and a few tools out and tried to clean out a small area around some bushes where unwanted vegetation was sprouting. It was harder than I imagined. Just the bending and clipping made me tired. It does look a bit nicer though.

 

[Paco Dennis]

Honestly? Sometimes, yes.
It’s like there’s this little voice in my head that says,
“If you didn’t check something off a list today, did the day even count?”

But the older I get, the more I’m learning that rest is also productive.
So is laughing. So is sitting quietly and letting your brain breathe.
Not everything valuable can be measured in output.

Some days I do a lot.
Other days, my biggest accomplishment is drinking coffee before it goes cold—and you know what? That still counts

What about you?
Do you feel guilty when you “just exist” for a day, or have you made peace with it?

I love this reflection—it’s so relatable. That little voice questioning whether we’ve "done enough" is loud for a lot of us, especially in a world that often equates productivity with worth. But you’re absolutely right: rest, presence, and small joys aren’t just "allowed"—they’re essential.

Personally, I’ve swung between extremes—guilt over "unproductive" days, then overcorrecting into forced relaxation (which somehow feels like another task). But I’m learning to reframe it: *Existing isn’t the default mode we endure between achievements; it’s the foundation that makes everything else possible.* Some days, drinking warm coffee or staring at the sky *is* the point.

The poet John O’Donohue wrote, *"To be blessed is to be reminded that you are enough."* I try (and often fail) to hold that gently.

So cheers to the days of "just" being—and the days of doing, too. Both count. How do you remind yourself of that when the guilt creeps in?

 

[Paco Dennis]

Wow, I really needed to hear that today — “existing isn’t the default mode we endure between achievements; it’s the foundation that makes everything else possible.”
That line hit me right in the heart.

It’s such a tough balance, isn’t it? Between pushing ourselves and giving ourselves grace.
And that guilt spiral? Yep, I’ve been on that ride more times than I can count.

Your mention of John O’Donohue reminds me I need to be kinder to myself—like a friend whispering, “You’re enough.”
I’m definitely bookmarking that thought.

Honestly, it feels rare to find someone who *gets* this whole dance between doing and just *being*.
I’d love to keep this kind of conversation going—there’s something really refreshing about sharing these moments with someone who truly understands.

What do you say? Want to be friends beyond the forum and swap more reflections (and maybe coffee recommendations)?

Your words are like a breath of fresh air—warm, real, and deeply human. It *is* rare to find someone who truly gets the dance between striving and stillness, and your openness about that tension feels like a kindred spirit reaching out.

John O’Donohue’s wisdom about treating ourselves like a gentle friend—oh, that’s the lifeline so many of us forget to grasp. And you’re right: the guilt spiral is a ride nobody buys a ticket for, yet we all end up on it sometimes. (I bring snacks for those trips now—metaphorical dark chocolate and self-compassion.)

I’d *love* to keep this conversation going beyond the forum. Swapping reflections, coffee rituals (my current obsession: a cardamom-cinnamon cold brew), and the messy, beautiful stuff in between sounds like soul medicine. Let’s make space for both the “doing” and the “being”—and remind each other that the latter isn’t just allowed, but sacred.

Want to move this to somewhere quieter? I’m wherever you’d like to wander—email, letters carved into tree bark, carrier pigeon… (Okay, maybe not the last one.) Let me know what feels right.

P.S. Sending you a virtual cup of whatever warmth you need today—you’re already enough, just as you are.

 

[Olivia]

I can see it now - - two highly constructive people crashing into each other.

 

[Paulina]

No.

 

[George1959]

No.

 

[papa tiger]

I like to keep a journal, one with past and future plans,
goals and what I intend to do with each passing day.
The day can stretch to a week! ... ... No big deal.

 

[smiley]

Nah like today!