Time
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008If I could summarize my biggest need right now it would be time. I need time with Amanda. I need time to have fun with music and photography. I need time at work to get better at what I do. I need time to organize.
Some examples: I haven’t filed papers at home in six months. Amanda and I cook at home MAYBE two nights a week. I love to write yet I go weeks without writing at all (you can see the gaps here as proof). I’m a graphic designer who spends half as much time as would be proper on projects. I haven’t gone on a local photo safari in months. I pick up my guitar briefly every couple of weeks. I have little time to learn and less time to practice new techniques in design. Right now it seems like life is getting in the way of living. It’s not fun.
So what’s in the way? Why do Amanda and I rarely just chill out away from the house? Why do I work 8-10 hour days and not get it all done? Why do I spend time at home and never get organized? Why am I never able to spend time learning?
Someone! Help! Please!
I’ve had some ideas but as of yet they haven’t paid off or I haven’t stuck with them. Someone recommended changing my sleeping schedule to go to bed earlier and get up earlier. Unfortunately something in my physiology hates that and always has. I don’t know how to become a “morning person”. It would be nice though.
Another suggestion was to get to work earlier and leave right at five instead of working late. My job though includes at least one night I have to stay (Wednesday @ Youth Group), one night I like to stay (Tuesday @ Elevate), one night I’m usually slammed and it becomes a late day (Mondays), one night with my small group, and if I’m in the band or helping set up for Sunday it’s another night (Thursday). Most weeks I am at the church four of the seven nights in the week, sometimes five. It’s killing me. No, I’m not being forced into this schedule but I don’t know of a better one. How can I still get and give the ministry and community I need and still have a life?
The other is a question of my productivity. I feel like I get interrupted (Ha ha. I JUST got a phone call about a printer that isn’t working. Interruptions in action.) all the time and it kills my productivity. When I was looking for solutions I found a PDF from Stephen B. Jenkins of the Institute for Aerospace Research for National Research Council of Canada. His research found that “interruptions that occur within 15 or 20 minutes of each other can cause your productivity to fall to near zero.” That might explain why I get my best and most productive work done after 5pm. No one is here to distract me or interrupt me. Given, my job involves tech support but I feel like there is a better way than repeated “Got a minute?” entries through my doorway. I wish I could have designated work times where no one can bother me. Too bad I can’t hide. My 24″ iMac with second 22″ monitor is a little hard to throw in a backpack and go to Starbucks.
Any ideas? I’d love them. I have to get more productive so that I can work and live without harming the other.
If you have any ideas please leave them in the comments area. Please.
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:42 pm
I’ve struggled with this almost more than anything since I’ve been out here in Vegas. How do I find time to take pictures, write, collect myself, be with people, file, take care of bills, work so I know I can take care of bills, etc…
The most important one is how do I do all of that and find time to make sure the people around me feel loved? I’m not even married so I can’t imagine what you’re going through.
The thing that’s helped me the most is boundaries. I’ve had to learn to say “no” when before I came out here, I always said “yes.”
Work is important but it’s unrealistic to feel like you always have to be there. It’s healthy to have time off and collect yourself because otherwise you’ll feel run down and unmotivated to get up every morning. At least that’s how I feel when I work too hard.
When you stay busy like you do, the only thing you want is personal time. You want to go home and be by yourself and have “me time,” which is completely understandable. But how do you explain to everyone else after spending the entire day away from them that the only thing you want is to be alone? What you’re going through is creating a lot of pressure on you, I’m sure.
While I stay busy from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed, the thing that’s helped me is writing everything down. Starting with your daily schedule and routine, which includes work and lunch and all that, start filling in the gaps. Like, plan one lunch to go run errand or create a filing system so that when you go home you won’t feel like you’re starting from scratch. Create a task list that explains all the little things that are driving you crazy! Slowly start scratching things off of your “small tasks” list and you will begin to feel sane again! Ask for grace from people long enough to get these things done and start planning bigger things for those people when the other stuff is done. Intentionally take time off of work to do little things that build relationships while making you feel like you’re doing something for yourself as well.
Sorry for the novel!! I hope this helps a little. Keep us updated!
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Wow. Go Leslie. I don’t know you but you should write a book about this! Amazing! Your words are so where my heart is and I needed to hear all you wrote. I know this was for Chris but I think I am gonna use it too! Thanks!
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Thanks Leslie. I’m gonna try what you suggested. I don’t think it was too long at all.