GUS (Gave Up Smoking) is a community support diary for Kossacks in the midst of quitting smoking. Any supportive comments, suggestions or positive distractions are appreciated. If you are quitting or thinking of quitting (or want to support quitters), please - join us! We kindly ask that politics be left out.
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A message to all quitters: you don't have to avoid GUS if your latest attempt to quit didn't work out. We won't give you a bad time and we consider the attempted quits as "practice" for the real quit.
First things first: HOW IS EVERYONE? I feel like it's been eons since spent time at GUS (when really, it's just been a kind of overwhelmingly busy couple of weeks that I've been scarce). I got a bit of a chance to check in on stuff I'd missed, and I'm happy to see a few folks humming right along in their quits, others gearing up to give it another go, and GUS's big third birthday party looming in the not-too-distant future. All good things.
You'd think that time would be flying for me, as it sometimes does when we're extra busy, but alas, no such luck. For me, it's been a lot of "hurry up and wait" as I figure out how to navigate and check off various pieces of the house-buying process, all wedged in between big stretches of way too much work, and while it does sort of all blur together, it's not speeding by in a mercifully swift fashion, either.
Dammit.
I've said this before, and I'll probably say it again before this is all over, but what was I even thinking, initiating this process at the absolute busiest time of year for me, work-wise? Was I completely crazy, or just slightly delusional? (Don't answer that...) I mean, I knew May & June were going to be busy at work---they always are---but this whole year has been unusually, extra-super-deluxe Biggie-Size busy, thanks to short-staffing/leaves, a couple of projects we didn't anticipate, and extra grant and contract proposals being submitted. The firm is expanding and there are some growing pains.
I ended up having to cancel plans to attend NN12, after [probably unrealistically] holding out hope that I could get away to attend part of it, since it was so close. But there was just too much going on at work, even before I'd deliberately added to it by inserting a Buyer's Broker and a Mortgage Officer into the mix, getting really serious about putting an offer down, and accepting the seller's condition of an accelerated closing timeline.
Yep. Some of this is definitely of my own making.
And this would not be the first time this kind of "holy CRAP, everything's happening all at once!!" Vortex of Craziness has manifested in my life, and most of you reading have probably experienced something similar too at one time or another. You may even, as I did, realize that we were not entirely blameless in the scenario; that we maybe, just maybe, brought a bit of it upon ourselves, or didn't really think everything through before agreeing to it.
Many of us take on a bit more than we can reasonably handle as a matter of course, and we do it for a lot of different reasons. For some of us, it's a role we adopted early or grew into: the person who handles stuff. We're competent and good at juggling, and even when we're not so good at it, or overextended, we give it our best shot. Others take on too much as a method of distraction, a way to fill up time when we don't want to face up to or tackle something else in our lives, or when spending too much time thinking about something major---big life changes, behavior modification efforts---seems harder than just plunging into a massive pile of Things To Do. Some of us have an overly optimistic view of what we can reasonably handle by ourselves, and then have difficulty asking for help, or even accepting it when offered.
Even when we attempt good things, things that will have a positive impact on our quality of life, we still sometimes try to do too much at once, to tackle too many issues at the same time. In our haste to get the process over with and have a better (if not ideal) life, we often try to do too much, all at once. We bite off more than we can chew, and why not? For most addictive types, it's in our nature to do so.
The trick, I think, is figuring out how to bite off just enough to keep you going, but not so much that you choke on it.
Who's Your Little Buddy?
1BQ, 3rdGenFeminist, Abra Crabcakeya, Actbriniel, addisnana, AfroPonix, aishmael, Alise, Alpha99, A Man Called Gloom, ambeeeant, American in Kathmandu, amk for obama, andsarahtoo, angry marmot, Anne933, anodnhajo, aoeu, aquarius2001, arcadesproject, Archie2227, arodb, Arthur Wolf (in memoriam), assyrian64, awkawk, b4uknowit, bamablue, BARAKABETH, barnowl, b barrie, bdizz, beatpanda, beefydaddy18, BFSkinner, bgblcklab1, BigAlinWashSt, Bike Crash, BirderWitch, BJKay, bleeding heart, blingbling65, blue husky, Blue Intrigue, bluedust, BluejayRN, BlueJessamine, Bluerall, bluestatedem84, BoiseBlue, boudi08, Brahman Colorado, breedlovinit, BrenP, Bronxist, BrowniesAreGood, bsmechanic, buddabelly, bumbi, BusyinCA, Carol in San Antonio, CathiefromCanada, CathodeRay, CDH in Brooklyn, cee4, Cen Den, ChiTownDenny, ChocolateChris, ChurchofBruce, ciganka, cinnamondog, citizenx, ClapClapSnap, Cleante, Code Monkey, codobus, Coldblue Steele, Colorado is the Shiznit, coloradomomma, common green, commonmass, Common Sense Mainer, congenitalefty, coppercelt, dadanation, dangoch, DarienComp, dauber, Dauphin, Dave in AZ, Dave in Northridge, deedogg, demkat620, Dexter, Diana in NoVa, Dickie, DiegoUK, Dingodude, dirtdude, distraught, djMikulec, dolfin66, donnamarie, Donna O, dotsright, DRo, droogie6655321, Dube, duckhunter, Eclectablog, Eddie C, EdgedInBlue, effervescent, elbamash, El barragas, el vasco, ericlewis0, Everest42, Ex Con, ezdidit, fhamme, Fineena, fiona2, fishhawk, Flea, flumptytail, Friend of the court, fritzi56, FrugalGranny, Garrett, Gator, gchaucer2, GDbot, Geiiga, GenXangster, glpaul, gooderservice, gooners, gravlax, greylox, grndrush (in memoriam), GrumpyWarriorPoet, gzodik, Haole in Hawaii, HappyinNM, henlesloop, HeyMikey, hideinplainsight, High Tide, hiliner68, hold tight, hulibow, I love OCD, Im a frayed knot, imisa, Indexer, indubitably, indyada, Interceptor7, Inventor, I said GOOD DAY sir, itsbenj, Jahiz, JamesEB, janl1776, Janeo, JayinPortland, jayjaybear, jbou, Jeffersonian Democrat, jmadlc55, jmonch, Joes Steven (aka Steven), john07801, johngoes, johnny wurster, jsfox, JVolvo's Mom, jwinIL14, Kai99, kailuacaton, Kamakhya, kat herder, Kelly of PA, kestrel9000, khloemi, Khun David, Kitsap River, kittania, KrazyKitten, Kristina40, Ksholl, labwitchy, Lady Kestrel, ladypockt, Lahdee, langerdang, LarsThorwald, LA rupert, last starfighter, LaughingPlanet, Laurie Gator, Lipstick Liberal, litoralis, lmdonovan, lockewasright, Lonely Texan, longislandny, luvsathoroughbred, maggiemay, magicsister, mango, Marc in KS, Marjmar, Mark E Andersen (Kodiak54), marknspokane, marsanges, maryabein, Matt Esler, mdemploi, Meteor Blades, Micburke, michael1104, MillieNeon, minerva1157, MinervainNH, Missys Brother, mjbleo, MnRaindog, mntleo2, Morague, Mr Bojangles, mrsgoo, mskitty, msmacgyver, MsWings, Murphoney, nannyboyz, ncsuLAN, NearlyNormal, Nedsdag, Nick Zouroudis, notgivingup, NY brit expat, OleHippieChick, one pissed off democrat, Onomastic, operculum, OrangeMike, Ordvefa, Overseas, Over the Edge, Pager, paige, PaintyKat, paradox, parryander, paulitics, Pennsylvanian, phrogge prince, Positronicus, post rational, PowWowPollock, Proud Mom and Grandma, psycho liberal, ptolemynm, Purple Priestess, PvtJarHead, racheltracks, randallt, ray bob, real world chick, red mittens, Reepicheep, regis, relentless, revelwoodie, revsue, Rex Manning, rexymeteorite, RiaD, rickeagle, ridemybike, rightiswrong, Rileycat, rincewind, rkex, roadlion, Roger Fox, Rosebuddear, roses, rscopes, Rudini, Safina, SallyCat, Sanuk, Sark Svemes, sboucher, scooter in brooklyn, Scrapyard Ape, seenaymah, sfbob, sgary, Shahryar, sheddhead, shesaid, Shifty18, shmuelman, shopkeeper, sidious666, slowbutsure, smartcookienyc, smeesq, Smoh, snoopydawg, snorwich, SnyperKitty, SoCalHobbit, sofia, soonergrunt, sostos, sowsearsoup, SpecialKinFlag, spmozart, spotDawa, SpotTheCat, StateOfGrace, Statusquomustgo, stiffneck, sunbro, Super Grover, Syoho, tallmom, Tay, tdslf1, teknospaz, theatre goon, The Eyewitness Muse, TheGeneral, TheStoopingRabbit, TigerMom, Tim DeLaney, tiredofcrap, TomP, tonyahky, Toyotabob7, TreeFrog, triciawyse, tripodisblack, trs, trueblueliberal, ttanner, Tulsonian, Turn VABlue, Turtle Bay, Tyto Alba, uc booker, UncleCharlie, Unduna, Unforgiven, ursoklevar, USArmyParatrooper, VA02 femocrat, Vacationland, valadon, Vayle, Vetwife, vgranucci, Village expects idiot home soon, waytac, webranding, weelzup, Wes Opinion, Whimsical Rapscallion, willy be frantic, willy mugobeer, Wood Dragon, wolfie1818, Wordsinthewind, Wreck Smurfy, x, xopher, yet another liberal, Zotz
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Weekly GUS Diary Schedule (regular diarists featured in bold)
Mon PM: Vacationland reports of my demise were premature!
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