It’s time for one of the two Thursdays of every month where I give a nod to the things that make us stop and say, “There’s something about . . . ”
It’s spring break week here in Michigan.
I’m joining my friends, neighbors, and family in the water. Theirs is of the Florida-like, warm water beach variety and mine is, unfortunately, strictly metaphorical.
My fabulous kids are home and doing a great job of entertaining themselves while I work. So it isn’t their fault that I’m near drowning and the sharks are circling.
I have an overloaded schedule.
We’ve all been there. We’re happily going through life and we think, “Yes, I can take that project on . . . and that one . . . ” and then suddenly:
There’s a major writer’s conference next week, where I’ll be mostly wearing my editor’s hat. That means I have a stack of proposals to read and less than a week to do it. I also have three editing projects that need attending, an article to concept, a few drawings to finish for a friend, and a handful of blogs to write. Oh and I’m still editing that WWII book I wrote which will be finished sometime between now and when pigs fly.
And it isn’t that I don’t want to do the projects, I do. They’re all good things and I’ve committed to them all. Can you relate?
What’s a slightly eccentric, harebrained airhead to do?
Okay that description is more me than you, I’m sure, and if you don’t believe that description of even me, I’ll point to just one of the lovely instances from this week—cue the memory of me trying to drop off my daughter’s friend 2 hours early. Her mom works. Not at home. I know this. And I still did it. Sigh!
When things start slipping through our fingers like, well, water, we know something has to be done.
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The first step is always bowing out of what we can. There’s nothing like dropping a heavy stone when you’re trying to swim. But what happens when you do that and you’re still a disaster. Well, I decided . . .
Momma’s getting organized, baby.
See, deadlines are to me like taking of dorky glasses are to Superman. They transform me into a project-blasting master. You’d think that deadlines would give this creative hives. But it isn’t so. Somehow knowing that something has to be done by tonight or by noon miraculously makes it so.
I know this about myself, but I am just now (when I’m nearly finished with spring break) implementing the deadline system. Let’s just hope I can stick to it . . . at least until after breakfast.
How about you? How do you deal with those times when the schedule is just a little out of whack? Have you tried deadlines? Do they work for you?
Praying for you. The snow on spring break doesn’t help, right 🙂 Organized is good, but also hard. Festival of Faith and Writing? I’ve been following their website. Such a great conference.
I so appreciate the prayers. I hate the idea of being organized, but like it when I am. I’m honestly struggling with being disciplined this year in more ways than one. I keep going back to the idea that I’m frayed at the edges not because I’m falling apart but because I’m not done yet (http://beautifuluglyme.com/?p=361). I’m getting there.
Oh and yes. Festival of Faith and Writing. Are you going? I’d love to say hi.
Not this year, I couldn’t get off work, but I’ve been following the blog. Can’t wait to hear all about it!
Deadlines are my friends, as well. Something different happens in my brain when I’m up against a deadline. I can’t explain it; I just know that it’s so.