This is one of those seasons where I feel like I have SO MANY things that I want to do and accomplish...so much inspiration and ideas...and yet I feel so paralyzed as to where to begin.
I have been regrouping my thoughts on schooling and having much discussion with Mike about what each one of our individual children need. Lots of thoughts about parenting and babies and pregnancy. Many great sewing projects are brewing constantly on the back-burner of my mind...baby quilts, burp cloths, nursing aprons, receiving blankets, embroidered onesies not to mention wanting to make some maternity skirts, adding fun patchwork to clothing, and keeping up with my monthly embroidered dishtowels.
This is also the time of year when I love to go thrifting and to consignment sales and yard sales while at the same time decluttering my home of the not-needed and sorting through all of our clothing. Oh yeah and I want to plant some herbs in containers, plant some flowers, and get some ferns for the front porch! And isn't there two bedrooms that need painting and some furniture that needs some white paint to freshen it up?!??! And let's not forget that I love keeping my freezer full of meals....let's try to have a cook day too.
And hospitality. Another big priority. Organize some informal play dates at the park. Have families over to eat dinner. Invite women over to craft. Have some children over to play....and goodness, I really want to blog! I am writing mental posts in the shower and at the park but the words never reach the keys on the computer.
I am BIG on living an intentional life. Figuring out what is really important to me and ordering my days accordingly. The problem that I am running into right now is that I have LOTS of ideas that all seem important to me...so many things that I truly VALUE that are beckoning to me. Cooking and shopping and decorating and sewing and reading and decluttering and organizing and crafting and homeschooling and gardening and friendships...it's a wonderfully full list!
Y'all I am stumped. Truly. I have no clarity on any of this right now...how to order my time and give to all of my priorities. I pray, I journal, I sift, I sort. A lot of this stuff does happen and finds its own way into my day without formal planning or cognitive intention. But my mind just won't stop racing as to what to do next! I sit down and want to do all of it...right then...and don't know which to do or where to begin. And when I finally choose something, then I also have all of the other activities still pressing at my mind and heart. Really struggling with being mindful and present in the moment.
Without micromanaging every hour of my day (that is totally not my personality and cuts off my creative flow/joy REALLY quickly), do you have good thoughts or ideas as to how to either let go or plan well or whatever?? :) I feel like I have mental/creative bombardment right now and don't know how to stop the madness! When this happens I tend towards paralysis and perfectionism and then don't get any of my goals done. I just sit and stew and ponder and philosophize and waste my time obsessing.
Okay, enough for now. I would welcome any calming feedback and constructive ideas :)
13 comments:
I have this promblem too- too many inspirations and too little time. one thing I think about is that the internet makes it so easy for us to gather way more information than is really natural and gives us too many ideas of great things to do. So, for me, some days I have to turn off the computer completely, that helps to slow down the pace.
Also, I have come to my own realization that I can never do it all at once, but I surely can experience everything that interests. Sometimes I paint, sometimes I knit, lots of times I cook or uncook, sometimes I clean, sometimes I hang out at the park instead, sometimes we take showers, sometimes we don't. Maybe I haven't sewn for months, but I know there will be a time for it and as I wait, I will enjoy the other things. I am sure as I explore my options, the true gems for me will stick and I won't worry about the other things.
It's also helpful to examine what it is that you really want to do. or log what you do throughout the day. I know I have just been on the computer for about 30 minutes whereas I could have been choosing to do a little crafting.
I think this is something ALL women struggle with! A friend of mine, who is a very organized and very busy working mom, made herself a daily schedule format based on the book "A Woman After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George. It centered around her priorities (God, husband, kids...) and meeting those first then adding in the extras. It was a simple 1/2 page paper and she spent time each morning during her devtions to pray about how God wanted her to use her day then filled out her "plan." She seemed to use it as a guideline to structure what was really important for that day as opposed to a checklist to cross off. If your interested in the document it's self, let me know. I know she really felt blessed by using it.
aimee, i can relate to this!!! it's wonderful and frustrating all at the same time. what a blessing we can have so many interests.
i hate to recommend a book to you since i myself am fasting from christian culture in books, etc and focusing on scripture---BUT the book "Shopping For Time" is very helpful. I forget who it is by. you can probably google it and find it. i think it is by the girls at the "Girl Talk" blog. i think sara's advice on cutting the computer off also helps prioritize. (though i'll miss you!!)
this post was also really good.
Let us know what you figure out!! Don't forget to consult the Lord and your husband FIRST!
I love that post that Andrea linked to. Really good. For me, I feel more overwhelmed with wanting to do the good things in life during the spring. Something about the wonderful weather and the desire to freshen up my house, and just my general happiness at being alive make me want to TO IT ALL. Things that I normally don't even like (sewing!!). I don't have an answer or really anything helpful to say but that I empathize!! I agree with what Sara said about the internet...we are exposed to SO MUCH creativity and interesting things, that it is easy to make our list of Must Do's long...I find that when I stay off the phone, off the computer, and out of the stores, my Must Do list is much shorter!! And I am much happier! But it is fun to dream...
While removing things and stepping away from things ar GREAT ideas, I still have issues organizing the things that must be done and want to be done. Lists and notebooks are my friends. Make a list of what you need to do each day, and then you will make sure the "needs" are being taken care of. For the creative side of you, make a huge list of everything you want to do, and when you have time to be creative you can work on one of the many projects. I keep notebooks full of ideas of things I would like to do. Knowing it is written down somewhere, even without the time limit, allows my mind to release it and focus on what I am doing. My mind generally worries an idea when I am fear that I will forget it. I am sure you will figure out exactly what works for you and fall into your own routine soon.
I think it is a wonderful thing to be excited and motivated to want to do so much. Enjoy that in itself. I think if you are getting the day to day done wiht love and joy and a project along the way, then when opportunity presents itself, new projects can be emarked on.
Don't forget to be still too, I need to work on this....
Aimee- the funny thing is that I was actually just writing a post about this today- I wrote a big long post and then got annoyed with it and figured it wasn't necessary and deleted the whole thing!..I just got annoyed because I started writing about too many thing my mind was everywhere, it was confusing. That is when I realized that i had less time and too many ideas going on in my head. How do I organize!!!??? I guess is where I am getting is that maybe a sketchbook would work...to write and draw out all ideas so that it declutters your mind at least for the time being.
I have been right there as well. And I don't have much to add that hasn't already been mentioned. When in this "funk" I just limit what I can do. I set the rest aside, in which case, I will pick them up later or the desire will dissolve. It's hard, isn't it, when they're all good, worthwhile things wanting our time? I'll be praying for you to find balance and peace, my friend!
I hear ya sister. Loud and clear. I'm desperately trying to be fully in the moment, and make moments to be fully present for the things that matter to me. I am having to do a major overhaul on my schedule just due to changes in our lifestyle, and it always throws me for a loop when that happens. I have to carefully think about WHAT I want to do, and HOW I can do that without infringing on the OTHER things I want and have to do. It's a delicate balancing act and one that is constantly evolving. I hate that, but I'm learning to live with it.
I have now done some thinking myself: http://hilluponhill.blogspot.com/
12 March 2009
I think this is common right now..in particular, with our economy hanging in the balance (of what, I don't know) but I think the unsureness of everything makes it hard to focus on the one thing that is most important...
being quiet before the Lord and asking His blessing on our day, whatever He has in store, whatever befalls us...
may He order our steps and calm our thinking...
or maybe it's just hormones...smile...
Ladies, GREAT THOUGHTS!!! I have been ruminating on them the past few days and it seems all of you are right :)
Sara, I have spent too much time reading stuff on the computer. Yesterday I got on after lunch and after dinner and that was it. HUGE difference in my mental clutter and focus by not browsing as much. I even pieced the top of a baby quilt yesterday afternoon!!!
Karri, although I agree with the basic premise of God, husband, kids, I have found that if I have that "linear" priority mindset then I never get to the priorities that are #6 or #7 like friendships or crafting or traveling. I once heard to make your priorities like spokes coming off a hub of a wheel. God in the middle and everything else are spokes. Meaning that I have to listen to Him and be dependent on Him as to what to prioritize on any given day. Sometimes a friend's needs must come before my children or sometimes focusing on service to the poor will come before crafting or whatever. The problem with linear thinking is that we never make it down the list :)
Andrea, LOVE the post you linked to...fabulous...
Laurel, yes, it is SPRING FEVER BABY!!!! I get like this every Spring...it's as if all my senses wake up and want to make, do, explore, etc!!!
Shepherd's grace...um, there are LOTS of hormones that I think are contributing to this too!!!! My husband always says "never underestimate the power of your hormones!"
Stacey, yes lists!!! I have lots of them :) And I usually can't sleep at night until I get things out of my head and on to paper. It's a mental lifesaver.
Prairie Chick, I am totally with you. Right when I get my life "balanced" and working right, things/circumstances/relationships change and so must our rhythms and priorities. I am not as flexible as I always have viewed myself to be...I used to roll with life much better but as you add more kids you know you need more structure/control for things to move well, but then it's hard when that gets messed up by LIFE!!!!
Hill upon Hill...am now off to go read your musings :)
My conclusions:
Spring Fever and Nesting are contributing factors, but the biggest things is INFO overload. I need to now write a post on simple living MENTALLY...decluttering the mind!!!
Thank you so much for posting-- I thought I was the only person who felt so scattered and unfocused for a long time too! However, this past spring, after being laid off, I started doing some soul-searching and career research and blogging. I discovered Barb Sher's career books, where she describes people JUST like us as "Scanners" with many interests, and the key for us is scheduling our time! I have yet to implement all her ideas, but I'm starting to! Check your local library for Refuse to Choose! (or What Do I Do When I Want to Do Everything?). As you listen to her describe "scanners" you'll probably jump up and think, That's me to a "T"--which was my reaction!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/barbarasher
Post a Comment