There was a furry little hamster named Hammie. Hammie was an adventuresome rodent who loved to travel. Every day he would head out, running as fast as his wee legs would go. Being so small, he knew it would take him a long time to get where he wanted to be. What he didn’t realize was he ran inside a wheel and was going nowhere. (Picture from wikipedia)

I have days like that. I feel like I am racing but getting nowhere. I have chores like that–hamster chores–things that need to be repeated over and over. Like laundry, vacuuming, dishes, meal preparation. Things no one notices UNLESS I don’t do them.

I guess I’m not alone in feeling like Hammie-rushing to go nowhere. I found this article and I include a quote from it. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/management/morning-manager/getting-off-the-hamster-wheel-takes-some-planning/article2231813/

However, he is urging more than planning. For instance, if you feel like you’re a hamster on an endlessly rotating wheel, take some of your planning time to reach out to a mentor who is particularly well organized and chat about how you might improve.

In fact, Google ‘Get off the hamster wheel’ for some interesting reading. And perhaps some weird ideas too.

I can’t delegate most of my hamster chores. I can’t appeal to a mentor. I can a) abandon them but even if no one else notices, I do and it clutters up my head. Or b) accept that some days are hamster-wheel days. Run as fast as I can even though I’m not going anywhere but simply to get done and off the wheel. I choose the second option solely because I feel pounds lighter when those hamster chores are dealt with.

BTW, they’ve devised a toy that actually allows a racing hamster to go somewhere. It’s put out by http://www.firebox.com/product/2204/Hamster-Racer-Set

Cool. Right?

Now if I could invent something or someway to make my hamster-wheel days actually take me somewhere!