Sleeping on the Job
Do you ever get so overwhelmed that you can barely see straight ahead of you? Mountains of laundry, kids home for spring break, taxes, bills, family visiting, a disaster of a house, yard work, teaching a new class, and, oh yeah, writing! These are the things filling my days. And nights.
Sometimes I can remember what was for dinner the night before, or what we even did that morning! Time seems to blur and the days pass and there’s nothing significant that is accomplished.
I hate that feeling! I like to check things off my lists. Of course, I have lists scattered all over the house, so I can’t always find the one I’m looking for, but you get the idea. I like to accomplish things. Concrete things that show I’ve done something productive, made strides toward a goal, or at least put in the effort.
I’ve been lagging in the accomplishment arena lately. Organization is a big issue for me. I try. I envy those who are super organized. I have organization envy. But no matter what, I just can’t seem to orchestrate my life or my house in the organized way I’d like. It’s like it’s not in my genes, only it IS in my genes. My dad is super organized. That’s the only way he knows how to be. Why, oh why, didn’t a smidgeon of that rub off on me?!
So that’s my goal for the summer. Get my house, and my life, organized.
If you have any tips, I’d love to hear them!
~Misa
Useful tip #1
Hire someone to do it for you =)
Zita
Misa, you juggle so many balls in the air, and you do it so well. Consider that Martha Stewart has hordes of people helping her out (and doing things for her) in order to present the image of organized perfection. Cut yourself some slack for being human, take a deep breath, and realize you can only do so much at once. If you can cut out extraneous things that sap your time (and aren't worth it), that's a good start. Then just keep telling yourself, "I'm only one person, and I'm doing the best I can." That's my best advice (and I'm trying like hell to follow it myself!). 🙂
Misa, a friend of mine once said to me, "how do you eat an elephant? One bite at at time." I often think of that, because all of my tasks equal the elephant and I find that I get overwhelmed and then paralyzed by the feeling. So I start with something I know I can accomplish; just crossing that off my to-do list helps me get to task #2 and so forth. About two weeks ago, I felt exactly like you did and I tried to take my own advice. It worked. I managed to get book 5 edits in, work at my full-time job all day/every day, and even clean my house. Yes, I'm exhausted. 🙂 Maggie
Do the easiest and quickest things first and the rest will follow.
I do what absolutely has to be done first.
Then I do writing stuff.
Then I do the things I least want to do.
The big housecleaning my daughter-in-law does for me.
Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com
About 15 years ago I started carrying a dayplanner. I like the kind that shows me a week at a time. I use it for my day job, my writing job, and all the personal stuff that goes into taking care of a house, car, etc. It goes everywhere I go. I couldn't function without it. Doesn't get my house cleaned, but does tell me to buy vacuum cleaner bags and what kind.
Rhonda
Zita, I like the way you think!!!
~Misa
I guess laundry is easy and fairly quick, Dru, but why do I HATE it SO???!!!
~Misa
All good advice! This is going to be the summer of organization, even if it kills me!!!!
~Misa, going to do laundry now. Still…