The Scheduled Stretch
by Stephen Simmer
A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time.
–Annie Dillard
In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.
–Anthony Robbins
Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. At least that’s the way I’ve always heard the quotation. I’ve always found this little aphorism comforting for my ADHD mind. I can’t keep my tools organized, can’t remember when I’m getting my teeth cleaned, and can’t keep a regular exercise program, but at least my mind isn’t little. I’m seated comfortably on the dais with Emerson and the other great minds, reviewing the endless parade of the little consistent people with pity.
The actual quotation from Oscar Wilde reads, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” Wilde wasn’t talking about all consistent action. He was only dissing the foolishly repetitive acts–when we’re like dogs chasing our tails for no good reason. I want to bless for a minute the gold in repetition, and in the commitment to repeat small actions over the long haul.
Many of the stretches we set are one-time experiments. These are important, in my judgment, because they challenge me to push the envelope of my life, to test my limits, to leave the beaten track. I’m going to call that woman and ask her out. I’m going to email my resume. I’m going to fast for two days. I’m not at all denying the importance of these one-time stretches.
But there is another type of stretch that I call the schedule stretch. This is a stretch to do something intentional with consistency. This is like Picasso painting every day, through wars, divorces, family deaths, sicknesses, depression, despair. Every day I paint anyway, even when I don’t feel like painting. When the voices scream at me to stop, I paint the screaming voices. This is Larry Bird or Ray Allen shooting shot after shot in the gym, the workers building the pyramids and cathedrals with their endless repetitive actions, the dad who shows up for all the games, the husband who commits to picking up after himself whether he wants to or not. A normal stretch is a challenge and an exploration. A schedule stretch changes my life, changes the world, one layer, one patient brick at a time.
About Stephen Simmer-I am a psychotherapist serving Western Massachusetts, with offices in West Springfield and Northampton, Massachusetts.
To learn more about me and my work visit:http://www.stephensimmer.com
– is a deeply personal issue that everyone decides for himself. Sometimes the price is high, sometimes low. But this is not very important for life. Life is an interesting thing. And the price on Viagra – too.
