Change the Plan.


I hate the term "busy" when people use it as an excuse for not getting something done that they're supposed to.  It's usually a good sign that whatever they are too busy to do is of less importance to them than whatever they were doing.  But I have to say it: I have been busy.  The problem is, I can't really tell you what has been taking up my time that overrides things that I should also be attending to, like this blog.  There are days that just fly by and I have gotten nothing accomplished by the end of it other than feeding the children constantly and washing the dishes over and over again.  I have so many days where there are loads of small gaps of time- 20 minutes in between one school drop off and another, for example- where I'm not able to actually get anything accomplished that requires a good chunk of time or a little peace and quiet, so I spend a lot of time drifting around the house, killing time.

Gus was on break this past week and I got way less done than I had planned to do, which was minimal to start with.  I didn't set foot in my office all week other than to relocate things that belonged in there like receipts, or the new thread I purchased.  The week before that was my birthday and we also had a string of company, and then Greta had an incident where she knocked a fresh cup of restaurant-temperature hot tea over and scalded her arm.  She's fine and that actually looks way better than it did, but it was one of those unexpected things that just happens to knock a whole day out of whack, and those kinds of things seem to be happening a lot lately.


On top of it, I am comparing what I am doing and managing to get done to what others are.  My social media feeds are full of people starting new projects, getting major tasks accomplished, producing new lines of goods, getting stuff listed, and making big sales.  I feel like I am falling farther and farther behind with the ideas that I have in my head as compared to the time and energy that I have to get them done.  It makes me irritated and somewhat envious, but not of the actual "stuff", just the consistency with which others are able to work.

Then I have to remember that a lot of the people I follow are years (and years) younger than me, or just at a totally different stage of life.  A lot of them don't have kids, and therefore have more interrupted time, perhaps, to work on things.  I am not unhappy, in the general sense of things- by a long shot, but I do wish I had more time in the day, just in general.  I want to put the ideas in my head into motion and see them come to life.  I want to cross some of the major things off of my endless list- the things that just get pushed to the bottom because there isn't sufficient time to work on them properly.  I am not wishing time away and if you want to tell me I'll miss these years when they're gone, you don't have to because I already know it.  But if someone could just figure out how to add, like, four more hours to each day, that would be pretty awesome.

My plan now is to try and change up the plan, in order to give me a little more time each day to get something done, and hopefully earlier than 10 o'clock at night, which is when I'm writing this- a post that has been hanging out in my brain for weeks.  I need to realign what tasks are getting done when the kids are home versus when they're both at school, like not reorganizing the medicine cabinet when I'm home alone but instead maybe, you know, making something.  Time scheduling is an ever-evolving process around here, but one of these days I hope to get it figured out.

How have you all been lately?  What's new in your life?  I'd love to know that there are still people hanging out in here and I hope to find myself popping in more, too.

Comments

  1. I too have felt this way lately! Not enough hours in the day, and I am trying to prioritize and still gaining nothing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's super frustrating, isn't it? The time just slips away somehow and I'm left with a longer list than I started with.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm feeling like this a lot lately. This past week, I feel as though I got nothing accomplished because I wasn't able to get the big tasks done. After some consideration, I decided that maybe I just need to change my routine. Instead of trying to get the smaller tasks done in attempt to have a large chunk of time for the bigger ones later on, I need to start prioritizing the things that need more time. Much like your example with reorganizing the medicine cabinet, I need to do something more productive in place of the more menial projects. And today being Monday, I've decided to start my day with creating a design for a card instead of orders. It's a project that needs to get done, but I've been putting it off because there wasn't a big enough chunk of time.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm am not going to give you advice on structure and scheduling your time because I am horrible at it. We all need more time in the day for sure, and I don't even have kids! I've been getting distracted more with other things that's been keeping me from "working" and coming up with new jewelry pieces. I blame the winter, we're all getting out of hibernation. I will tell you though, not to worry yourself comparing yourself with others. I'm sure they have things they're worried and stressed out over too. Just do you! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ah! I ALWAYS feel this way!
    I started a logo 3 months ago. THREE MONTHS AGO. My friend/client keeps inquiring as to when it will be done, and I just keep whispering to myself, "I don't know!". It's a question I can no longer answer, at all, when it comes to creating anything or making time to complete any important task.
    How do others do it? I don't understand. And I too get jealous/angry/confused/exasperated/depressed/all the feels when others continually proclaim their awesome daily accomplishments.
    I haven't showered in two days.
    I'm sitting down at my computer right now, to type this, for the first time in 6 days.
    Don't others have children who need to be fed breakfast three times within an hour before they even get to finish ONE cup of hot coffee? Don't their kids need all their stuffed animals tucked in on the couch 9 times? Don't their kids ask, "Mommy! Can you come sit with me???!!", every 30 seconds while replying, " Honey, I'm loading the dishwasher! And now I'm cleaning up your play dough mess! And now I have to take the dog out!"
    If I do sit, I will likely fall asleep or melt into the couch for days.
    I'm not saying my life or tasks are any more important/time consuming than others who ARE creating and doing, but those few minutes here and there don't amount to much...and yeah...I'm totally organizing the cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink in those 3 spare minutes in between snacks...silly small tasks to fill those tiny gaps in time.
    I'm doing it all wrong. I know this.
    I just don't understand how others do it. How others DO anything.
    Stay at home mom creators. Working mom creators! HOW THE HECK?!
    Maybe my kids are just super clingy and demanding?
    Maybe I've done a horrible job with making them more independent, or teaching them to be respectful of Mommy having Mommy time? They're 3 and 7. I haven't gotten anything done in years.
    I dug out my bin o' art supplies over the weekend. But I keep laughing manically in my head...like WHEN do I think I'm going to be able to sit down and DO anything?
    Minutes slip away. Hours. Before I know it an entire week has gone by and I haven't DONE anything. I have no sense of time these days. But I yearn for it.
    Ahhhhhhh!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Paige @ Little NostalgiaMarch 16, 2015 at 1:39 PM

    I feel like this a lot, too. It's why I have projects in mind for months before I actually get around to doing them. And I don't even have kids! I think it can be hard as a creative person to feel like you'll have time to get everything done because new things always pop into your head. I've been feeling like I need to just drop one of the many things I juggle (probably the Etsy shop?) because there's just no way for me to make it all happen. Don't beat yourself up over what other people are doing. Everybody's lives are different and social media isn't a totally reliable way to see what's going on, anyway. Those people could be crazy stressed out but you would never know.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Kristen, I just want to let you know that you are not alone in these feelings. AT. ALL. I go through this quite frequently. There are always more ideas in my head than there is time to implement them. When I feel particularly, stressed, I just channel my inner Elsa and let it go.

    When you have children at home, young or otherwise, time slips away so easily! That is normal. Don't stress.

    And ironically? I always feel like you have WAY more product than I do, when in all reality, we probably have a similar variety. That is just how our brains work. The perception that other people are getting more done, when in actuality, they probably feel just the same way! So give yourself a little break, have a cup of a tea, and then get right back it. You're awesome and you inspire me!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh, you are definitely not alone! I do think it's the nature of the handmade business. And it's especially true when the business is run out of your home. I think often, "if I left the house everyday, worked the same number of hours, but in a separate studio... I bet I'd get more work done!" But then again, I'd have rent to pay, so...
    What I'm saying is, you're not alone. Readjusting a day or week, your schedule, your expectations, can help when trying to juggle home/parenting/work/volunteering/me-time (if you're lucky. It's all part of this world of home-based studios. Hang in there! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. You just described my entire life. Just remember, the crazy will pass and you will be able to get back on track, I promise!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ever since I started teaching this has definitely been my problem. It wasn't an issue when I had a 40hr a week job but of course (as you know) teaching is a 50hr a week job and sometimes 60 depending the week. Organizing my time has a been a great struggle and I have improved drastically since last August but I need to get better. I HAVE the time but after working 9-10hr days, when I get home I just want to lay down and relax and not think at all. I barely make it to the computer. So, what I really need to do is have baby steps and by that I need to do a little bit each day. I have a big craft show coming up in a month and I need to make sure I have enough supplies so baby steps are definitely in order.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts