The Nightmare Before Time Management

Based on the issues I raised in my last post, I decided to change a few of my challenges into goals. 

Goal #1: To prioritize my time in order to balance work, shop, recreation, and my many interests.

• Resources/Inspiration: http://ohioline.osu.edu/cd-fact/1006.html

Where does my time really go?

How would I like my time to be spent? (What are my priorities?)

So, what do I need to do differently?
1. Cut 12 hours from work.
2. Add 2 hours to working on shop merchandise, photos, updates.
3. Add 3 hours of exercise.
4. Add 3 hours to meditation.
5. Add 4 hours to relaxation/reading before bed.

That doesn’t seem soooo drastic, does it? Unfortunately, what that means is:

• I have to leave work by 4:00-4:30 every day, and am only allowed 3 hours of work from home (I just spent two hours grading and got through only three essays--help!!!  I need to get more efficient with my grading time!)
  

• Spend one hour per day on my shop or save it for one of the days of the weekend?  I think I will try to post an item or comment in the forums every morning and do the big stuff (taking pictures, etc.) on the weekends.

• Exercise after a long day at work 2-3 times a week, not just on the weekends. (I didn't even get to the gym today, because I'm suddenly sick again.  Hmmm, wonder if this time management thing was just too stressful for me to handle...?) 

• Reinstate my morning meditation on weekdays, whether in the bedroom or living room (already doing better on this one :))
  

• Get off the computer by 8:00 every night so I can read and relax before bed!

Yeesh, no wonder I don't like to think about this stuff.  Gives me a headache.  Well, okay, I already had one...

And that's only goal #1.  The others are:


Goal #2: Take the time to organize my things and clean up after each activity.

Goal #3: Don’t start new projects until I finish up the ones that are already out.

Goal #4: Be willing to learn by doing, instead of just by reading and doing book research about the topic (i.e. blogging, technology, shop stuff).

But I'll get to those in the next few posts!

After getting in some good meditation time yesterday and this morning, I realized this really isn't as big a deal as I'm making it.  Everything will work out in the end.  When I feel the urge to work on each thing, I will.  And it's okay if it isn't all done-- RIGHT NOW.