I’ve come to realize that owning an online business is the same as owning a home. The tasks you accomplished 10 years ago now desperately need updating, while the chores you need to do, and projects that you wanted to do, remain on the endless to-do list.
But I wanted to teach myself the ukulele this summer! I still want to learn Spanish! AND I did want to get some painting done – but my art, NOT the exterior of my house. And, if you know me, I have more than several ideas for new miniatures and miniature gardens that I want to try out.
You probably know what I mean.
I have also found that my newfound responsibilities have completely thrown off my established routines so it’s been hard to recalibrate. I now have a senior dog that I adore so I don’t mind taking care of, but it adds an hour to my mornings; and my husband isn’t able to do much around the house and garden with his new-found hip & knee issues now that he’s getting older as well. (Yes, I adore him too – he doesn’t read my blogs so I’m safe telling you – I think. :o)
I know I’m not alone in feeling this pinch – I know a lot of you with young families can’t even think about much at all some days, I’m not sure how you do it. And, know that I am grateful for everything I have. I didn’t want to give you my list of frustrations just to complain but, if you’re like me and are creative, and like to learn and play, I bet you’re asking this same question too:
“But, what about me?”
As someone who has spent over 24 years creating and sharing the miniature garden hobby, I’ve learned the importance of balancing creativity with life’s demands. So, here’s what I’ve learned that works for me. Take some of it, take all of it, dissect it and adapt it to see if it improves your time management too. Let me know in the comments below what you think.
Okay, Here’s What To Do:
Realize that not everyday will be a productive day.
No one hits it out of the ballpark every single time. The all-time Major League Baseball record for the highest career batting average is owned by Ty Cobb whose baseball career ended in 1928. Over 24 seasons he batted .366. Stay with me here… you’re prolly asking what the what… but that’s .366 out of 1.000. THIS means the top guy in the MLB only hits a winner a little over ONE THIRD of the time.
If you can get a hit or a home run with your to-do list or a project YOU wanted to push forward at least ONE THIRD of the time – you’re up there with the best, no? Definitely a game-changer
If you can’t control it, go with the flow.
I try to get to my office by 10 am now, but I sometimes start later than that. You would think I need to navigate traffic and a long commute, but no. I work at home. Ha!
AND I know my best focus time is the morning, so rather than get upset that another morning is getting away from me – which I know so does not help at all, right? – I go with the flow.
I stop and realize, “Okay, this day isn’t going like I wanted to so what can I get done instead?”
Small projects that don’t take a lot of time can be energizing and motivating because, well, they don’t take a lot of time and you can get a feeling of accomplishment despite your morning going sideways.
Small, quick tasks can include finally planting those poor plants that I bought last month, pruning any dead or overgrown branches in that one tree, or deadheading the flowering perennials that one garden bed. If I don’t have any tiny-tasks, or maybe I just don’t feel like it, I try to clean-up my potting area, sort out one of my miniature storage containers, or clean and organize the plants that aren’t planted so when I do have some time, I’m already prepped and ready to dig-in.
Baby Steps.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
My artist friend in Toronto, Florin Brojba, reminded me of this several years ago when I complained about my workload. He was absolutely right – coming from a very talented artist with a full time job and a house to renovate. Tiny steps can add-up quickly and before you know it, you’ll have a chunk of stuff done! Stealing 20 minutes a day amounts to over 2 hours a week.
Two solid hours of freedom sounds like luxury for some people – but if you can’t get a solid 2 hours to do what you need to do, you can at least get the same results over time.
Have a fall-back plan.
I mentioned a small-task-list above and to try to have an on-going to-do list handy at all times. When that morning that you wanted to dedicate your precious time to something YOU wanted to do goes sideways, your brain may not be able to adjust to thinking straight if you do get your “knickers-in-a-twist.” Sometimes I can’t think straight because I’m too bugged.
Having a reserve do-to list to fall back on really helps. You can also scan the list to see what you feel like doing that day. Maybe a focused deep-cleaning-something for an hour will help you scrub-away your bad mood and get you feeling a sense of accomplishment again. Research indicates that monotonous tasks can help the brain solve problems subconsciously. Cleaning can reduce anxiety and provide a sense of control over your space – and you get a clean house.
Create boundaries and keep them
When you do get a block of time to spend however which way you want, guard it with your life. Lol! Turn off that phone, ignore the social media pings and dings, and give TREAT yourself to dedicated focus time to “get ‘er done.” As women, we have a tendency to care more about others than ourselves so don’t feel guilty about taking some “self-care” time for YOU. And, self-care is mental heath. I was reminded recently that no one is so important that they are not allowed a break.
“Have a love affair with your art.”
Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the book Eat, Pray, Love, which was later adapted into a movie, writes and talks about being creative in one of her other books, Big Magic. She suggests having a love affair with your art. Meaning, steal-away a few minutes here and a half-hour there to layout a new miniature garden design, do some quick research or make your color choices for your next project.
Remember the days when when you were young and you snuck away to enjoy a few minutes with your new beau and how exciting that was? As a married person I know I’ll never experience that again but I can get close (kinda – lol!) by sneaking away to put a layer of paint on my latest idea, glue something together that needs time to set, or prepare a mini tree for planting for a new project that I’m excited to get moving on.
What strategies do you use to make time for yourself? Share your tips in the comments below!
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