Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Time Management

A couple of months ago, my niece (the fabulous and talented Sophie Leininger) complimented me on how well I was keeping my life balanced. I'll admit, I was feeling pretty in control at the time and it felt good to have it be recognized. I was writing every day, exercising, working my day job, remembering a friend's birthday and visiting my mother on a regular basis.

Oh, how I miss those halcyon days. Someone asked what I was working on this weekend and when I heard my own explanation (I'm taking a break from the proposal I was working on to do page proofs on a different project, but I need to get the proposal done so I can get back to the rough draft that's due in September) I felt like I'd lost my mind.

Now mind you, I'm happy to have this problem. They're all projects I'm happy and excited to be writing. I'm also thrilled to go to my son's soccer tournaments (Go Chaos United!) and attend my cousin's wedding and go with my sweetheart to his father's memorial services (well, I'm not HAPPY about that, but you get my drift). Still it's all time and I'm starting to freak out a little bit.

I need to remove some of the distractions and settle down to get some work done, but the distractions don't seem to want to be removed. I keep thinking that the next week will be the one where I have some blocks of time to really work and then my mother has a dental emergency or my son gets sick or, well, you know. It's making me incredibly anxious and since my baseline is already a fairly high level of anxiety, it's not good.

Soccer season ends in a few short weeks. My mother's jaw has been successfully recontoured (don't ask). The wedding is coming up and will soon be past and I can settle down and get some work done. Right?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I find when one distraction ends, another begins. It's so difficult keeping every ball in the air, but I do think it focuses you to make the most of whatever time you have.

Congrats for managing to keep your sanity and still write, it is really hard.

Eileen said...

I believe you're assuming facts not in evidence. :-)

Stephanie Doyle said...

If it makes you feel better Eileen - I've NEVER achieved day job/writing job/exersising and having a life in the same day. Never.

I don't have a spouse, kids or any serious distractions and I still can't seem to get it done.

It's actually been my goal this past week. Get up an hour early and at least write everyday. I feel like I'm losing my writing muscles after so much atrophe. But then I got a bug and I need that hour of sleep to give me energy to get me through my day job.

Vicious vicious circle.

Anonymous said...

Eileen, sanity isn't really that important, but you're writing:)

For me, and maybe this is just my mind playing tricks on me, but there are certain things I need in my life. Exercise is definitely one of them. I hate it, but it keeps me alert longer in the day. Or maybe it's my trick to force my body to exercise.

Eileen said...

I always feel like I can have two things going well, like maybe writing and exercising, but that means that the house is falling apart. Or the house is clean and I'm writing, but I haven't stepped outside for a month. I can't ever seem to have it all going on at once.

Molly O'Keefe said...

You know what I don't understand is that it's all or nothing. I'm either a master juggler or it's total chaos. At least that's the way it feels - some days I would kill to be 27 again.

What doesn't help is the NON STOP RAIN we're dealing with - two months with about one sunny day a week. My children are growing gills...and I'm growing my drinking/pie problem.

Molly O'Keefe said...

oh - hilarious about the house - my folks are coming on Thursday and it's going to take me all day wednesday just to clear out the guest room. I'm not kidding - ALL DAY!!

Maureen McGowan said...

It is so, so easy to be distracted. Even without the family and day job. Seriously. I feel as if I've been busy these past couple of months and have done almost no writing.

Habits/routines are hard to break or change. I suppose that's why some people insist you need to write every day. I need to remember that advice, lately.

And I'm like Molly with the all or nothing thing. I usually have everything under control or nothing. As if I have two speeds. Super fast and stop. :)

Eileen said...

So . . . you write like a teenaged boy drives, Maureen? Tee hee hee.

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