I’m very good at compartmentalizing my life. I generally keep the stresses of work life at work. I can focus on my chores and DIY work at home without thinking about it elsewhere. Thus, I can enjoy my time with family or playing Ultimate Frisbee without stressing about other parts of my life. 

This has been very helpful for me since I can get pretty overwhelmed at times when I have a lot on my plate. In the past, if I couldn’t block out these burdens, I would tend to shut down and get nothing done.  

Yet I’m starting to think I overdo it.

In fact, the compartments themselves have started to be a problem. In one day, I have my work compartment, my writing compartment, my chores compartment, my walking the dog compartment, my Ultimate Frisbee compartment, and my time with my wife compartment. It’s as if I’m living several different days in one. 

In some ways this is great. I can easily feel like this is a life well lived when I have this kind of day. This is a good thing, but what I am realizing is that there is no flow to my day. It’s like I go from box to box with no connection between each. 

But there is an obvious connection: me. Generally, I like and even love doing all of these things. Perhaps I can stop living a life that is like closing one door and opening another, and instead shift through and between these different aspects. See my life as a multi-toned instrument, and myself as the player, choosing the notes and rhythm of my day.