We\u2019re repeatedly trained to complete one job before starting another, beginning from the time we\u2019re children (\u201cFinish your chores and then you can play\u201d) and continuing to education, military service, work, and home life. We learn that there\u2019s an order to how we do things, that every item on a to-do list must be checked off before we move on, and that leaving a task half-finished is unacceptable.<\/p>\n
This mindset of finishing one task before starting another shows up in other areas of our lives as well. We often have thoughts such as \u201cOnce I get through this month, things will slow down,\u201d or \u201cI can\u2019t wait until he starts driving so I can have more time to myself,\u201d or \u201cOnce I lose weight, I can get back to playing pickleball.\u201d We put off doing what we enjoy until other things are completed, as though we\u2019re looking for a reason to reward ourselves.<\/p>\n
The challenge with this mindset is to-do lists are never done. You\u2019ll never get to a place where there are no problems. There is no \u201cperfect time\u201d to do what you enjoy. This isn\u2019t meant to be discouraging, as a life without things to do or problems to solve would be an empty one. But it hopefully helps us recognize that instead of waiting to do what makes us happy, we should go ahead and do that now. Our to-do list will still be there when we return.<\/p>\n
One thing we can all do right now\u2014without finishing something else first\u2014is check our posture and sit or stand up a bit straighter. In this video, Dr. Jason Napuli, a Chiropractor Physician at the St. Louis VA, explains healthy posture, the \u201crule of 90s,\u201d and shares some simple exercises you can do throughout the day.<\/p>\n