Top ten signs that i am overwhelmed with being busy:

10. I stop. There's this feeling I get when I look at a long to-do list or think about what needs to be done.... It starts as the first step in strategizing time management and ends with a deer-in-the-headlights frozen fear because I don't know where to begin. After all, by devoting time to one activity means there are four or five others I SHOULD be doing at the time. And sometimes I just freeze. That might explain the two-hour nap I just woke up from.

9. Questions about future activites are answered with "umm...... i. don't. know." This includes suggestions from friends that we meet for lunch, requests from co-workers about assisting with a tasks, or inquiries from family about when I will be home for dinner.

8. Priorities are askew and time management is out the window. This behavior can be observed by the fact that I saw two movies this weekend (and it would've been three if last night had worked out with our schedule and the movie theater's). For the record, "Indiana Jones" was cute- which is not exactly a compliment since I don't think that's what they were going for. "Prince Caspian", on the other hand, kicked butt and made me tear up for a second. I really need to re-read those books now that I'm older.

7. I have panic attacks. This used to be a common occurance when I was in college, but have since faded into rare happenings. This week, however, they've begun to make a comeback. I don't plan on them sticking around, however, no matter what action I need to take to usher them back into oblivion.

6. I make lists. Lists on my dry erase board at work, lists on the special notepad for to-do lists that I got for Christmas from a coworker, lists on the back of envelopes, lists on the back of my hand, and, apparently, lists in my blog.

5. Stretching myself too thin is another hazard. This week I will be hanging out with a friend on Monday, working late into the night at the station on Tuesday, teaching kids about hope by tie-dying shirts on Wednesday, going to the Dream Center on Thursday, and recording JJ radio Friday... I have a hair appointment on Saturday and am operating the video camera on Sunday. If you asked me what I'm doing at a specific moment in time for the next seven days, I could tell you (ex: Wednesday, 5:59p- driving to church, on the phone with Jamie or Sophia wrapping up last minute details. Seriously, feel free to test me on this- it is both pathetic and awe-inspiring at the same time...)

4. Time in the Word dwindles. This is counter-productive, as God is my fuel (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me). Yet, I figure God is the most forgiving and His part of my schedule is the most flexible. I think I might be wrong.

3. Emotional eating increases. I'm trying to be strict about calories right now, so it's interesting.

2. I quit caring about certain details, and I get an attitude about it. For instance, the people at work my not have a clean refrigerator, and if they continue to misplace the keys to the women's restroom, they may be on their own. This is not a good way to maintain good relations with my boss (who will probably make sure that the restroom remains acessible).

1. I blog.