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"Believe you can and you're halfway there." - Teddy Roosevelt
I had discussed this before in another blog finding the time to write. This is within the same vein, but not just about writing. Life can sometimes become overwhelming. We each have our jobs, chores and everyday routines that need to be accomplished. Even those routines can feel like a ball and chain around our necks. We all need that down time. In my life, I have a nice plate full of normal day to days. I work a full-time job, home school my son, am a student at Drexel, run a household and have two dogs to take care of. I don’t regret any of the things within my life, but man it can become a lot.
I decided to work harder at getting my blog updated regularly. I took on a podcast because I wanted to explore that side of content. I continue to work on my novels and short stories. Each day I have a list of things that needs to get done. But most of the time the weekends are the only time I can get any of that done. The last time I took a vacation was when my friend took my son and I on a camping trip of the northeast. That was in 2018. Before that I never really took a vacation, unless you count before I was old enough to work.
So how do we find the time to enjoy life and get the important things done? Let me give you some ideas with what I do. I will preface this by also saying that there are times where the “fuck it” decision has come in to play. Putting that aside there are ways you can get all the things you want to get done, with some down time to spare.
It might sound simple but lists help. If you start out the day with a list of things that you want to get done, it will at least put those items into prospective and how you may go about getting them done. Be careful not to over do the lists. I have made a list before that was around 20 items. If you set yourself up for failure, that is the only end you will accomplish, failure. Start off with short lists. Such as do the dishes, vacuum, laundry and then an hour or so of gaming (as the reward). At the end of each list make sure you give yourself that time to wind down, chill out and have some fun. Reading a book, watching a movie, listening to music, or playing a video game (my personal favorite).
Realistic expectations of yourself are a must. I have been toiling away at my novels with the expectations of being completed by a certain amount of time. That is not how to go about doing that, however. Making the time to write is important, keep the inspiration flowing and the words adding up to complete the project. Just don’t go into that thinking it will get done within a few days. Let it happen naturally.
Taking on new projects can be very rewarding. Getting yourself out there with what you can do and be seen in different venues is a great opportunity. Just be sure you are not taking on way too much. Take is easy and slowly integrate these new projects one at a time. See how long each will take to get done and see what you can do feasibly. I have tons of ideas and each day I come up with something else to add to the collection. We just need to make sure that those ideas get written down and we can revisit them later. Again, one thing at a time.
As for vacations, I have to say I can’t really help with that too much. Saving, planning and a board to post the ideas you have of places you want to go. Nothing is impossible. You just put your mind to it. My main obstacle has been finances and figuring out what I would be able to do with everyone in tow. I know it is possible, I just haven’t put enough thought into it.
Overall, our lives are busy, and we always wish there was more time in the day. Instead of trying to get everything done at once, we need to pace ourselves. We must make sure we also make time for our own welfare. As much as we like to accomplish everything, we must give ourselves that down time to be able to do that. I am guilty of expecting too much of myself and then leaving myself drained and not accomplishing anything. Hopefully this helps drive home the need to make time for ourselves, get what we can done and live productive lives.
2 Comments
This was definitely a good read and reminder two keep things in perspective and not cut too much at once. Making a list every day great tip and I will start doing this. Take a vacation girl! That’s one thing I did prioritize pre-pandemic… We haven’t been anywhere since February 2020 and it shows!
Thank you so much! I know I need to take a vacation. Need to just refresh and relax! Most of what I did during the pandemic was redecorate and write. I think within the next year I will make it a priority.