The Illusion of Control: Are There Benefits to Being Self-Deluded?

By Lab Coat Mama

Those people who know me well know two things about me.  I am scattered brained.  As I often have multiple trains of thought going at one time, sometimes this spills over into my life.  Also, relaxation and quiet are very difficult for me, thus I tend to overstretch myself.  My working hypothesis is simply that I would not be happy any other way.   It is hard to downshift from maniac speed during the week, to blessed 3-day weekend.  

I love having coffee while piddling around my garden in the morning.

I digress.  Thanks to my 6-year old spending the night with his grandparents last night, and my husband and I relaxing alone, I woke up with ideas.... of all the wonderful things I could get accomplished this morning. As I type I am drinking coffee (see Goal A, Action A in the prefrontal cortex).  

Since working as a toxicologist, my focus on healthy and chemical-free food for my family and friends can boarder on the obsessive, says my husband. Who am I to deny- but that is another post. Goal B: a batch of pesto made and ready to be frozen from my favorite multitasking cookbook Wildly Affordable Organic: Eat Fabulous Food, Get Healthy, and Save the Planet--All on $5 a Day or Less. Also, I am determined to find some good pickling recipes to save what has become a limited but successful harvest from our experimental vegetable garden. I am envisioning interesting and surprising accompaniments made from my overload of fresh green onions, cucumbers, and carrots. Goal D- No Knead Bread, which makes my absolute favorite, crunchy loaf but rests at least 12 hours. Try it, you will never go back!
 This is my idea of relaxing.  It may seem crazy and neurotic to some, but nothing relaxes me like taking some time on the weekend to prep myself for what will assuredly be a crazy week and work and home.  Somehow, as I rush from meetings in slacks and heels to cajole my son into staying the pool during swim practice, changing the pool bathroom to get a run in, and wondering when I can squeeze in an oil change, having fresh bread and pesto angel hair pasta to come home to makes me feel in control.  Of course, so does the perfect silk dress and red lipstick, but that is a topic for another time.

So I ask, as you realize you are a slave to the reminders from your Google calender, what makes you feel in control?