Last week was Spring Break for my kids, and this year was different than last year's. The first part of the week was very quiet, which meant that either a) the children were asleep for several days or b) some of the children were gone.
Obviously, it was the latter choice.
My oldest daughter, Ashley, enrolled in a lifeguard certification course that would take four full days. I would be working, and the thought of the other three maintaining order while I was gone... (insert shudder here)
Thankfully, Grandpa and Grandma came through for me, and the kids spent three whole days at their house. "Three whole days, Ashley!" "What are we going to do?" "Think of how quiet it will be." "Think of how much I'll be able to get done!" Now I love all my kids and their nuances, but three days with only one quiet, self-sustaining child had me dreaming up plans to work on my book project, catch up on my blogging, and clean out some clutter.
I use the word dreaming, because that's exactly what it was.
I did not manage to work on my book, write a single blog post, or clear any clutter. I didn't cook any meals, do kids' laundry, or even clean out a drawer.
Instead, I discovered something about myself during those three days.
It's not that I have too much to do; I just try to do too much.
Stay with me, here. I know this is not a profound statement for some of you, but for me to come to that realization will hopefully help me manage my time better. Since I went back to work in October, I have been making excuses. Excuses as to why I can no longer crank out weekly blog posts, why I can't get my book query sent to a publisher, why the fridge and pantry aren't stocked (although I'll blame that one on a teenage boy).
For three days, I had quiet [mostly]uninterrupted time to myself. Ashley and I did watch a movie together one night, and she whooped me in Blokus at least six times, but I still didn't accomplish my tasks. I seem to have made it a habit of trying to complete more in a day than is physically possible.
Why do I try to fill every minute of every day, only to fall in bed with at least five unfinished items weighing on my mind?
I ran across a running quote from Shalane Flanagan this week that I intend to apply to other areas of my life as well: "No excuses. Just do the work."
I think that's a great idea.
