Summer is great in so many ways. The long days, the heat, the relaxed attitude, no school. I’m realizing it’s a great lazy-maker as well. On that last day of school, before summer, I was planning how I could make the most of the summer days. You know, remain productive, keep a schedule, actually get things done. Why has that not happened?
Of course, I’m going to blame it on the move. How could I remain productive and get things done while moving? In the past that’s exactly what it would have done for me. I used to be Super AR* Girl! when I was under stress. That’s how I managed to graduate with honors from college (can’t remember if I did so in high school…that’s a little too far back although I was still Super AR). I would stress so much that nothing else mattered except scheduling and organizing that stress. I thrived on it.
Apparently it’s that stress that made me get things done. Somewhere between kid one and kid two I lost the stress gene. My priorities have changed and being Miss ÜberAR just doesn’t matter as much anymore. I went from planning out every single minute detail Du and I would do on our trips in Europe to flying by the seat of our pants on our family trip to Orlando earlier this year. What’s up with that? I used to be a royal list maker. Nay, I was more than a list maker. I would have whole charts, maps and schematics created to organize myself. Now I can barely force pencil to paper to write anything out. I do not thrive on it anymore. Thank goodness I still shower and brush my teeth.
That I am lazy less organized isn’t a new revelation to me. I blogged about it the whole month of April (to the moans of my readers, I’m sure). I’m just beginning to realize however that I do need to function in this new normal. I still have things that need to get done. I still need to be organized. Big things are on the horizon that need to be attended to:
- School. AAAGGGGHHHH!!! It’s coming way too quickly for me. I’ve got the curriculum ordered but I haven’t planned anything out. I actually impressed myself by getting the curriculum ordered early. Urged by huge Alpha Omega and Tapestry of Grace sales, I couldn’t afford to wait anyway.
- Sew Petit. AAAGGGHHH!!! I’ve got to get new products onto the website. I’ve got some new fabrics for burp cloths that I can’t wait to introduce. And I’ve got several other ideas that I need to begin working on.
- Bible Study. AAAGGGHHH!!!! I’ve fallen off the wagon with this one. How can I expect to be my best (or at least try my best) everyday if I’m not spending time in the Word and learning more?
- Let’s see: bills, finishing decorating the house, making “friends” during this year in Alabama, transferring contacts from old phone to new one, finishing up digital scrapbook of our Orlando trip, moving all cds to ipod, etc., etc.
None of it will happen unless I acknowledge they’re coming (or are already here) and plan for them. The saying is true that a person is more productive when they’re busy. When you’re not busy you get lazy. Am I really not busy enough already? So, now that I’ve wasted taken who knows how much time writing this post I’m going to sign off now and actually go and get some things done. Jaci, you may actually have done a brilliant thing.
*AR, of course, stands for anal retentive. You know, that unflattering term we throw around like it’s not really gross once you start thinking about the words.
Not So SAHM 
Vicki’s fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants Orlando trip consisted of a day by day plan of what parks we would visit in which order, exactly when to arrive to minimize parking lot walking and show up at the gate before opening, and a pre-printed out map of each park with the rides that Reagan, Vicki and I would like the most highlighted. She researched and got the best value airline, rental car, and condo available 4 months out. I would definitely call that fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants 🙂
Actually, I think it was a perfect happy medium and probably the best vacation we’ve had. It was just the right amount of planning to avoid frustration while on the trip and already have a tentative but not overly restrictive agenda.
She wasn’t making it up though when she talked about previous AR planning trips. When we went to the Northeast for the “Fruity Pebbles” fall foliage trip – she had restaurants planned and individual sites in each town (including individual covered bridges) I admit I was very much like that as well but over time Vicki and I are changing to relax and enjoy things more – flexibility is key!!
I am so proud of her for everything she does with the girls, keeping the house running, and keeping her business going. A daily general plan of 3 big things to get done (not a 100 item list) is very useful. The 100 item list is my norm. We are getting back to the 3 part generic plan and I think it will provide the focus we need without tying us down to a huge task list that feels burdensome.
Now it’s time to go do one of today’s 3 parts – clean out and organize our office/sewing room – woohoo!
I feel so far behind this summer too and I don’t homeschool. I get way more done when I am busy and have lots to do….but the more I do, the more I have to do. The busier I am, the more I have to do. And even if I am not busy, I still seem to have too much to do. Even with lists to keep track of things, I still can’t get a handle on all of it *sigh*
Sounds like you had a great vacation!
Loving the “He Said, She Said” quality of this entry! And you guys, you have TWO KIDS now. It takes more energy than it’s worth to be AR and keep up with two kids. (Especially when one of those kids is Ashlyn.) 🙂
I lost my job in December and fell behind in everything soon after, instead of catching up in all my free time. Now I am training for a work-from-home gig and can see all the things I should have done. I am AR and a total list person, just today I was thinking I need to start a list and get things done…um, yeah I thought and didn’t do. And I don’t even had a kid yet…I’m doomed!!
I am AR about some things…completely lax about others. And ne’er the twain shall meet.
And you are Super Mom. I didn’t even have to read Du’s comment about your Orlando Adventures to know that you totally planned that out to a “T.” You did, girl…don’t deny it.
Lynn: I see you’re feeling my pain.
Nicole: You’re on to something 🙂
Melisa: Wow, I hate that you lost your job! I can see how you’d fall behind though. With a lot of free time it’s easy to get lost in it. Hope things go well for your work at home gig.
Du & Leigh Anne: I guess I put a little more planning into the trip than I thought. But it’s still nowhere near what I used to do. I guess that’s why I feel we were flying by the seat of our pants. I wasn’t stressed and worrying over everything.
ah, man, it’s kinda depressing when one woman’s (yours) lazy heifer is another woman’s (mine) full throttle. and i love that du outed your ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ vacation. i didn’t believe it anyway 🙂 gotta run, my kid’s eating rocks. yes, he finds them inside.
School is sneaking up too quickly. I really enjoyed this post.
I’m so late in thanking you for stopping by my blog when I was featured on SITS. I look forward to returning and reading more!