Every time I temper with my sleep pattern, I remember the spoon theory story I read somewhere. The girl was trying to explain to her girlfriend how having Lupus had changed the way she went through life. With the spoon theory, you are expected to guard your spoon with all diligence because you never know what tomorrow holds. And any time you misuse your spoons, then know that you will suffer the consequences of not taking conscious decisions to protect them.
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Those who are sick basically go through life with fewer options. They can't do certain things that healthy people do and even if they did, they have to sacrifice something. But it has to be something worth sacrificing for if not it will cause damage. Healthy people have the choice to wear whatever they want when they get up in the morning. Sick people don't.
Sick people have to consciously plan for a change in weather or even have to choose a material of clothing based on how their body is feeling. A healthy person can decide, oh yeah, I want to wear a crop top today, but a sick one might wake up that morning with signs of a cold and wouldn't dare wear a crop top.
The spoon theory thus helps us understand how many choices we have in a day, a week, a month, a year, and probably our lifetime. So, if you don't consciously make clear and concise decisions, you will be caught wobbling.
For me, every time, I don't get enough sleep, my journey to regretting not maximizing my spoon begins. I wouldn't be able to concentrate fully the next day, I won't be able to speak to friends until whenever we are ready for bed, and I wouldn't even be able to wake up early enough to write on time. Everything will be messed up.
Why I consciously remember the spoon theory every time this happens is because the day I didn't make an effort to sleep early enough, I had options but I choose to misuse them. Instead of rounding up and getting in early, I stayed up to see a movie.
At that moment, I pretended I didn't know that I had a different lifestyle from the next individual. And I would be up early to write my post and then prepare for every other chore, work, and Hive engagement plans that I have for the day. What happens is that I get the satisfaction of finishing an interesting movie today, and I bear the consequences of losing time the next day trying to recharge.
It's messed up I guess. It has always been like this for everyone who has something important going on in their lives as compared to those who don't. If the former messes with their schedule, they have to bear the consequences but the latter may not bear any consequences because they barely had plans for today, tomorrow, or next.
But did you know this applies to our finances and budgeting too? Yes. It has happened to me a lot of times and you can bet the spoon theory will always be there to bug me.
Any day I decide to step out and rack up my account balance. I suffer the consequences for the next few days or weeks. So I had to come to terms with the fact that I have to think carefully about tomorrow before I buy my Shawarma and Pepsi. Would I need this money tomorrow? Would cooking today at home serve me better than getting the instant gratification that shawarma brings? These questions and more pop up and I always have to choose to skip the shawarma and prepare a good meal at home.
Whenever you want to spend money recklessly, you must remember the spoon theory. What if a disaster happens tomorrow? Clearly, you need a financial reserve in case something goes bust. What if you wake up tomorrow and you don't feel like working a 9-5 again? What if you decide to close down your business? What if.... Using the what if's will help manage your money better.
No one prays for the worst to happen but it's always best that we pray for the better while expecting the worst.