Thursday, July 11, 2013

The Week Just Flew By...

I have two different blog posts in the works right now but with photos and editing, my informational posts take forever to pull together. I'm putting up this post just to check in, take a breath and say hello. 

I suddenly have a gazillion irons in the fire and I'm feeling that uncomfortable zaaaaaaaap of stress. It is uncomfortable because these responsibilities have time tables attached to them. Suddenly I have to be more cognitive of how I spend my time and I have to prioritize which means lazy stuff drops to the bottom. Phooey.  You know what really bugs me?  It's that a large portion of the gigs I have going are awesome and yet I still, at 44 years old, don't know how to be in the moment when my moments are full of goodness.

So Mondays and Tuesdays are a zoo because I teach Create and Innovate at summer camp.  This program is activity-intensive so planning, organization and energy are a major must!  This week was water week so I incorporated h2o into several of the projects.  For one of the four projects we did on Monday, I laid out a huge assortment of boxes, recycled Styrofoam and packing materials, random containers, lids, corks, toothpicks and other bits and pieces.  Then I invited the kids to build boats. Their objective was to create a vessel that could stay afloat in rough seas.  I had two plastic tubs filled with water that we manufactured waves by tilting.  The kids had so much fun and were unbelievably creative with their ideas.


This is my daughter, Eva's ship. She made a flag out of bubble wrap and the blue area on the left is a hot tub.  It floated.





The next day, among other things, we made a river from aluminum foil.  I put out smaller items and told the kids to make boats for a river rather than an ocean.  This was a trial by error process.  They started out making boats fit for a Pharaoh traveling down the Nile but each time they battled the rush from the hose and then the stagger when the water became still, they adapted their creations with new features.  In the end, the competition was so fierce that we had to wrap things up or else a fight might break out.

By the time Wednesday rolled around I was spent but the Isaacs household needed groceries, laundry and a clean kitchen. Yuck.  It literally takes a full day to get things organized around here.  Plus there was banking, bills, Tae Kwon Do and dinner to address.  That is family life.  Thank goodness I don't have to tackle all that on the weekend after working 40 hours.  That must be so hard!

So today rolls around and I wake up feeling a little overwhelmed.  I have a design team challenge to complete, some writing to do and a garden that needs some serious TLC.  wohasme - I'm so busy- with a whole lot of luxury, dream-come-true, love-my-life goodness and yet I still feel stress? What the heck is that? I have to tell on myself when I let the "get-to's" of my life feel like "have-to's (and-maybe-I-don't-want-to's)".  I think it is a habit.  One I need to surrender to the universe because it does not serve me.  I don't know why I depend on fear and anxiety to get things done.  I know I can do things because I choose to.  Yet I let timetables set my pants on fire and it is so unnecessary.  I just don't know how to feel secure about taking care of business without using fear and anxiety for momentum. What I do know is this. There is a way to do it differently and it is time to find it.

4 comments:

  1. What fun. Sometimes having lots going on inspires more to come so just enjoy this time/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Its is the same with me. I jot down ideas as I am rushing around like a chicken with its head cut off. lol

      Delete
  2. Jilliene - You are awesome, awesome, awesome! No one could accomplish everything that you have on your to-do list.

    Thank you for your stress confession--I can relate (get-to becomes have to, anxiety creeps in, gut wrenching begins), perhaps most of us can.

    Prioritize. Simplify. Delegate.

    I have been reading about work styles, personality, time management,even brain chemistry. You might find some helpful ideas by searching key words on the internet. There are tons of books on the subject, Google up some reviews and find one that "talks" to you. Good luck! You have a rich life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh - thank you so much Linda. You are so kind! I will do some research about this because I want to be a good example to my kids you know? so they don't pick up some of my more difficult patterns and then have to sort it all out when they are my age. I'm too blessed to be stressed!

      Delete