Christa, Day 2: Evaluating My Commitments

Today's item is a toughie for me, since I have a tendency to overbook and then work through a mountain of to-dos until I finally feel comfortable again, at which time I take that opportunity to overbook all over again. Work, personal projects, and projects around the house all count, which is why I do things like start applying flooring at 10 p.m. and freelance work in the office (shhhh.) and spend my lunch hours crossing items off my weekly agenda, just to pare things down. So when you ask me to do something like today's item, I don't even know where to begin.

Evaluate your commitments. Look at everything you’ve got going on in your life. Everything, from work to home to civic to kids’ activities to hobbies to side businesses to other projects. Think about which of these really gives you value, which ones you love doing. Which of these are in line with the 4-5 most important things you listed above? Drop those that aren’t in line with those things.

Someone in my life said just the other day that I like being busy, which is true and untrue at the same time. Too much on my plate stresses me out - I'm not one of those go-go-go types who thrives on the chaos of having too much to do. Tedd has said more than once that I invent work for myself, which is true, but the work I invent for myself is really just all the things I'd be doing if I didn't have to work for a living. I like avocations, not vocations. One of the happiest times in my life saw me living in Costa Rica with only the bare minimum of paid work. And while I did create a certain amount of structure for my day, to-do items including swimming twice a day, going to the beach, tidying up my little condo, reading, and composing long emails to family and friends.

Admittedly I do love the feeling of accomplishment, which is part of the nuttery that prompts me to add personal to-dos on top of professional to-dos. I am absolutely caught up in the loop of wanting to "have it all," a myth if there ever was one. 

I want to succeed professionally - since I have to work for a living, I may as well kick butt at it. I want to do all the things that my SAHM friends do, too, like trips to the beach and the zoo and making things and educating my child and so on. I want to exercise, every day, because I love exercise, and I want to veg and watch TV, too. I want to maintain blog upon blog and keep an active online profile and officially open my own business. I want to socialize with others, but spend time with my family. I want to figure out a way to stay home with the P. and have another baby on top of it all.

Ha, right? Like what else can I cram in there!

Which brings me back to yesterday's list: spend quality time with family, doing more of what makes me happy, making some money, enjoying life's pleasures, and finding a place of contentment. Of all my obligations and hobbies and other activities, the main ones that contribute to the list would probably be:

• Caring for my family, because if they're not healthy and happy, I stand a better chance of spending quality time with them.
• Things like mommy's wine night, making stuff (when I feel like it) and crafting, reading, drawing (which I hardly do anymore), and walking
• Working, which I hate to put on the list but I'm saving up, building a base to make the "second baby" thing realistically feasible and so work has to be one of the items
• But also getting away from work at least once each day and probably more so I can enjoy life instead of feel like I'm slogging through it

Those are the biggies and honestly, with everything I do, it's not like I've had a lot of time to take on extraneous projects.

But in the interest of really challenging myself with Day 2's item, my plan is to 1. clean up my sewing/crafting area, which currently looks like I'm in the middle of a project when I'm not. A state that gives me anxiety because it makes me feel like I have some unfulfilled to-do items hanging over my head. Hobbies should not feel like another responsibility hanging over my head. 2. Ditto for personal projects that have failed to progress. Those need to go on the back burner instead of sitting on my to-do list like shining beacon of failure. 3. Evaluate certain professional commitments that are currently on hold - I need to ask myself if money-wise/time-wise/involvement-wise those are worth continuing or whether it's time to say ciao.

The hope is that by divesting myself of certain commitments both internal and external, I'll have more time to focus on the commitments that are actually important to putting yesterday's five things at the top of my mental list every day. Wish me luck!

P.S. - Did you know there's a Google calendar for the 72 Ideas in 72 Days project, thanks to Julia? I'm pretty sure you can sync it to your gmail - though I haven't been able to figure out how yet.

P.P.S. - The Attorney At Large posted her Day 2 here, so go have a read!