So, I've been thinking for a while about being busy. I've been too busy to write about it...but today is a snow day, so I have a few minutes, I think.
It is interesting to me that I am so busy. I have worked hard over the last year + to be intentional in what I am doing. Doing only these things that are important and meaningful to me. How can so many things be important & meaningful? I've been trying to figure out what to drop & I just can't figure it out.
I feel as though I've completely tapped my time management skills. By that, I mean that I could probably be more organized & do a better job managing my time, but I don't really want to. I want to have relaxed evenings with my family a few times a week. And, I want to enjoy weekend time with the kids & my husband & with family/friends.
I think the key to the overwhelmed feeling is to have a plan. I know that some of my commitments will end in May & that things will calm down considerably. Does that make it ok to be so crazy now, though? I don't know. I see people around me handle their crazy lives with such grace & I wonder how. I strive for that grace & I know that on the outside it appears that I am handling it with grace. But most don't see the moments when I'm so conflicted about what to do next or I feel like I'm not doing what I want to do with my kids or I have hard time talking to my husband b/c I'm too overwhelmed & tired to explain it all. Like right now, my son is dancing around the living room & I could be dancing with him. Instead I'm doing this or making a list of all the things that need to get done, or doing all the things that need to get done.
As always, I'm not sure what I should be doing, so I just have to make a decision & do it. I guess right now, I'll dance for a minute, then start some laundry, then clean my room a bit, shower & do some work. Then it will be time to think about lunch, finding a babysitter for the afternoon so I can go to work, & dinner.
Any thoughts? Trying to stay afloat, Parm
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2 comments:
Ok - so I only have a dog and not 2 kids and a husband, but things have been busy of late and while I still don't find time to do things (or motivate to do them, like go to the gym), I have figured out ways to make mundane tasks a little faster. I was working on a productivity improvement project for a lab and, in explaining it to someone, gave the analogy - "it's like when you do housework - if you tackle one room at a time, you are going to be dusting, polishing, mopping/vacuuming/sweeping each room individually and you have to schlepp all that stuff to every room. Instead, you should go through and dust all room, then do floors...so that you are grouping tasks. I try to do one task every weeknight so that my weekends aren't spent cleaning (may not be an issue if you have someone cleaning). Also, I've started separating my laundry into different piles as I take them off (on the floor right now, I need to get a sorter!) so that I am not sorting then feeling like I have to do all my laundry at once. You can set up one of those laundry separators at the end of your hall outside your door and everyone can use it for colors/whites/towels. Also, I got this dirt devil thing that works really well on my hardwood floors for picking up food/dog hair - that helps.
Also, have your parents come to your house and make sure they are bored, then give them a task like "clean the pantry" or "clean the garage" - your parents are pretty organized in those areas, so stuff ends up in a logical place. Worked for me (until someone started in on the pile of "pending" mail - make sure boundaries are well established). I feel like my life is under more control when things are organized (it must be in our genes), so this helps with that voice in the back of your head telling you to do certain things.
In the spirit of not neglecting my dog (or for you, your family), I schedule time into my day with him... while I can't plan when he is going to feel goofy/playful, it gives me time which I can then shuffle around with other things. Sounds odd to schedule free time, but it works for me and I don't feel like I should be doing anything else, because it's built in to my plan...
Lastly, when looking at what you can drop from your life, think about what enriches the lives of you and your family and what you or your children are going to look back on with fondness when this crazed portion of your life is over. I remember having apple spice cake and watching The Sound of Music, playing basketball until it was too dark to see and coming home to dinner after running amok in the neighborhood. It was traditions (Sunday night pizza was a good one until my sister abandoned me at the Pizza Hut, but that is another blog) and spontaneous craziness that I remember and appreciate. When I look at things like this, it makes it easier to understand why I didn't watch TV for so long. BTW- -getting a new TV has made my life seem crazier because I spend time watching it that I used to spend reading or dealing with the pending mail pile...
Thanks for your thoughts! Can't wait to see that TV!! And just remember, when I come to visit...I am not your parents...you'll have extra cleaning to do!
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