Out of My Head

The next nine months are going to be nuts.

I'm talking To-Do Lists that go on for pages and juggling multiple projects and timelines.

The path to graduation is paved in pink marker

It's organizational heaven.

I love lists and charts and making plans. They provide me with the illusion of control over my life. Once I get an idea "out of my head" and onto paper, it no longer has the power to cause me anxiety.

 

To do lists for projects and classes 

I worry that while I'm so busy, I won't have time for the things that are essential in my life:

• Taking care of myself. I can't accomplish my goals if I get sick from lack of sleep. Stress relieving practices will get me through all this and allow me to be a patient and kind human. This includes doing art, spending time in silence and having the occasional "girls day" with my people. 
• Spending time with my boys. I love my husband and son. And I spending quality time with them is an essential to who I am. Besides, I need to defend my title as house champion of various board and video games. 
• Spending time with my clan. I don't want friends and family to forget my name while I finish school. "What's your name again?" is not a phrase I want to hear from my parents on Thanksgiving. 

In order to accomplish this, I've devised MAGICAL LISTS to help me prioritize my time. 

Since cooking is my contribution to our household chores, I am making a menu for the next SIX MONTHS of dinners and lunches. I'm even including grocery lists and instructions for my sous chefs (husband and son). It's going to be epic.

Beef! It's what's for dinner in 3 weeks.

Also, worrying about what to wear to work and school is NOT something I want to waist time on in the coming months. I've already discussed how I feel about time spent worrying over clothing options in women vs. men. 

So I'm making a clothes calendar.

Putting together a clothes calendar

I've started putting together all of the combinations of professional clothes that I own. Once I've got an outfit completely arranged (shoes, jewelry, etc.), I take a photo. At the beginning of each month, I'll put together a calendar of all the outfits I'll wear. 

The idea is that all the decision making will be done ahead of time and I can spend more time on a day-to-day basis defeating my son at dominos and losing to him at video games.

I feel like the more tasks I get "out of my head" and on a list, the more room I'll have for what I really care about.

Where I Work VS. What I Do

I have a pretty sweet home office

For the past several months, I have been doing contract work from home. 

It took a little while to get into a rhythm of working at my own pace and on my own schedule. 

My unsolicited advice for staying focused. 

1. Take a shower when you wake up. This is another way of saying "don't work in your pajamas".
2. Dress like you'll be in public. (Don't just throw on sweat pants. Wear something that you wouldn't be embarrassed being seen in while depositing a check at the bank.)
3. Never turn on the television. Not during your lunch break. Not at all. You will get sucked in. 
4. Don't leave a "Facebook Tab" open on you internet browser. You don't need real time updates on your great aunt's cat's health issues while you're trying to accomplish great things. 
5. Leave the house at least once during the day.
6. Try to see and/or talk to other humans. Short small talk with the mailman can make hours of isolated work go by faster. 

I especially love working from home while my husband is also working from home. During breaks in conference calls and focused effort, I have someone to bounce ideas off of who also makes me laugh and reminds me of my priorities. 

But in this next phase, I am applying for "REAL JOBS" that require dedicated time in the office. 

I'm not sure if this is reflective of my generation or of my life stage, but I am a bit fearful of being a cog in a machine. I'm weary of managers who are more concerned with the number of hours I sit at a desk than the quality and quantity of what I produce. 

I've had relatively bohemian work for most of my career. While I've worked hard, I've also had much flexibility when it came to my work hours. It makes me wonder about the transition to working more structured hours.

While part of me is treasuring my quiet, sunlit filled workspace, there are times I do miss a busy work environment with people stopping by. These days, all my collaboration is done over the phone with all the incumbent joys of conference calls.

Regardless of where I sit, I love what I do. It fills me with passion and enthusiasm and makes each day challenging and entertaining.

I hope you love what you do, too.