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One Does Not Equal Three
Jan 24, 2008 Categorized: Musings • Simplify •
You may remember the time two years ago when I determined to simplify my life. “Simplify” was truly my theme for 2006. I pared down my projects, spent more time reading, and less time working. Then, by vacation midway through the year, I found myself a workaholic again. After several days at the beach with no kids, no work, and absolutely no thinking, I once again discovered what relaxation was. I determined to do some form of it each day. That lasted, oh, about a week. Then, at the end of the year, I discovered Southern Living at Home. All resemblance of simplification went totally out the window when I added a home-based business to my pre-existing home-based business.
For eight months I balanced two businesses back and forth, being careful not to disrupt the family balance that is so difficult to maintain while working and staying home full time. Until August. August 2007 is when simplifying became an ideal that seemed absolutely never again attainable. I added the third job--teaching music. I learned a very valuable lesson last fall--one person cannot be three people. It seems like a simple concept really. One does not equal three. But for some reason, I felt compelled to attempt the impossible. By the time Christmas rolled around, I was up to my neck in job responsibilities, piles of papers and junk, and dust bunnies. As the new year approached, I began to seriously consider how to bring my three-person lifestyle back around to just 1 1/2 or so.
What is it about a new year that gives us such a sense of new beginnings? It’s sort of like when school starts in the fall. We feel that fresh feeling of starting over that somehow gives us the motivation to make significant changes in our habits and disciplines. Several years ago I gave up the idea of making New Year’s resolutions, because I never could manage to keep them. But I’ve come back around to them in my old age, and I even tend to make resolutions more often than once a year.
Among my resolutions this year, like everyone’s, are cleaning out and organizing my house, getting back in shape, and taking more time to relax. But I couldn’t do any of those things without making a serious change in my work schedule. Let’s face it. When you don’t get enough sleep, ever, you don’t have the motivation and energy to do any of those things. So I decided I had to drop one of my jobs. I’m committed to teaching, and I’m committed to my current web/writing projects, so there was only one I could drop--Southern Living at Home. But that is what I love about SLAH so much! It is flexible enough to work around my life no matter what, and still be there when I need it. So I am not booking parties until school gets out. Once May gets here, I’ll be booking up my calendar for the summer. I’m really missing all the good deals I get as a consultant, and I’m especially missing my commissions, but I am at least enjoying the excitement of having a brand new consultant under me to coach and celebrate with.
So. I guess you could say I’m simplifying again. Life is a bit calmed down now that Christmas is over. I am still very busy with the teaching schedule, Will’s school schedule, raising children, designing logos and business cards, writing proposals and resumes, and training some folks on a CMS interface, but at least now I have the energy to handle it all. Well, most days I do. And speaking of all that work, I am so procrastinating farming out a bunch of logos in different sizes. I guess I better get to it before my bedtime gets here!
