I had all these plans when I quit my last job and began working from home. I was going to read more, exercise more, cook more, and deep-clean my house more. I was also going to do things like bake cookies and take them to the neighbors and go out to lunch all the time with my friends that I rarely get to see. Honestly, I don’t remember smoking a lot of crack when I was making all those plans, but apparently I was. How and when was I planning to work all of this in?
I really hesitate to express any frustration about this. I’m kind of a strong believer in the idea that we make the time for the things we truly care about. Take for instance the fact that I have not missed a single meal or snack for approximately the last thirty years. See? That’s commitment. As for the other things on my I’ve-been-meaning-to-do-for-the-past-eleven-months list, I’m afraid that deep down I’m lazy or just don’t want to. That terrifies me more than the thought of The Office being cancelled before Jim and Pam hook up and Dwight and Angela welcome the first of many strapping young Schrutes. I really believe that I care about those things. So where is the disconnect?
As for exercise, I do walk in the morning, which is a step up from my old routine of sitting on my rear end all day. Now I just sit on my rear end most of the day. I thought I would be able to do my Winsor Pilates DVD a few times each week, the one where Mari Winsor talks in a very calm and reassuring voice and says “tooshie” instead of “butt”. It’s only 22 short minutes long, but every time I think about popping it in, I remember something really important that has to be done. Like seeing if anything has magically appeared in the fridge, which can take upwards of 23 minutes.
I do cook occasionally, but not more than I did when I worked away from home. Maybe even less, if it’s possible. Dinner time sneaks up on me most days, and I’m finding it harder than ever to even make it to the grocery store.
I’m happy to report that the deep-cleaning goal has been resurrected. I have lit a fire under it and the fire is called The Likelihood of Having to Move Away. I hate moving, and I am working on my fill-a-garbage-bag-a-day (to donate or throw away) goal as a gift to my future self. (Dear Future Self, please buy me a really great pair of jeans in appreciation for all of my thoughtful consideration. Thanks, Future Self! You’re the best ever.)
But the reading! Or the un-reading, I should say. My reading goal is one that I really, really, really, really, really can’t get over. I love to read and hold books and get lost in them and stay up until the wee hours of the morning against my better judgement to finish them. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the last time that happened. Until I deep-cleaned my nightstand the other day, I had a neat stack of thirteen books that I wanted to read. Thirteen! My friend, Mrs. Smith, reads thirteen books every day. Before lunch. I have only cracked the cover on two of them, and then never finished. Sometimes I try to tell myself that I do read all day long. Part of my job is to read. When I’m staring at my computer all day, I’m reading. But then I remind myself that real writers read books. Stories. Stuff that has chapters and plots and new words to add to one’s vocabulary so that one doesn’t use the word “really” five consecutive times in order to express the magnitude of one’s feelings.
So today I did something. I bought an audio book on iTunes. And although I am not reading it per say, I imagine myself reading it while I am busy doing the dishes, filling my garbage bag, and checking the fridge for food. Already today I am on chapter five. It’s not the same thing, but it’s something I guess. I’m looking for small victories.
Now, if I can just figure out a way to get the same benefit out of listening to the pilates DVD…
so…… your saying there’s no hope for me? because i did EXACTLY the same thing when i started to work from home a month ago. it’s not going well.
sadly, the more i have to do the more i get done. when i have more time i generally just waste it.
The truth is that once you start working from home, or even if you take a hiatus from work (e.g. you get canned) you suddenly wonder how you ever held a real office job in the first place. When did you have time for laundry and lunch with friends and getting your hair done? It’s a mystery.
It would have been much more gratifying to see canning peaches, Reading and HIGHLIGHTING articles from the Ensign, taking chicken soup to the numerous ill and afflicted in your area, making breakfast, lunch and dinner for your family(from scratch…no mixes please), going to the cannery, reading your church lessons in advance and other worthwhile endeavors listed in your to-do list. If you want to read more books, buy ones with less pages. Don’t worry so much about the Office being cancelled. I sure BYU devotional at 11am on channel 11 will endure to the end. (you can watch and listen while setting the table for lunch).I have numerous other helpful hints for you but I need to retire for the evening as I arise at 4am to get in my scripture study and re-runs of the Jerry Springer Show.
That’s the kicker about working from home: there’s no real separation between home and work. Honestly, dinner sneaks up on me each and every day. My husband (who also works from home) and I brainstormed about solutions the other night and we came up with the idea of cooking meals on the weekends that we can eat during the week. I really hope it works because the way it is now, it’s 7:30 at night before we stop working and realize we haven’t eaten yet!
Ladies, I have a bit of experience in this arena. I wish I had a magic solution for you but I don’t. However, here is what I do know…
1) Dream Dinners is a magic thing – they are freezer dinners that you go and put together. The key to this is that on Sunday, you take out three or four (or however many you need for the week) and put them in the fridge. They will stay good for the whole week. Then, when you realize it’s 5:30 and hubby is almost home (which mine actually got home close to then), you can run to the kitchen real quick and make the quick meal. Truly, I have really enjoyed this.
Freezer meals (which are the same thing just made more by you initially, but also costing less) accomplishes the same thing. The key here is to get a bunch out on Sunday so they are already thawed. Otherwise, you run into the problem of having several frozen dinners, but none thawed when you need to cook it.
2) Hire out the cleaning – find a young woman from church or your neighborhood that you can hire. Pay them $8 or so an hour to clean. My house is about 2300 sq ft and it takes them 3-4 hours to clean it top to bottom. They even clean out my fish bowl (which I detest – why did I give in to my kids on that one?). I even have them do laundry (not whites) sometimes because that is the one chore I hate the most.
3) If you are up against a deadline and have small children, hire a babysitter to come play with them for a couple of hours so you can work uninterrupted. I hate to do that because it feels like I am defeating my purpose of staying at home, but it is so effective and helpful. My kids love it when I do have someone come over to play/babysit because it is fun for them and I don’t feel quite as guilty for having to dedicate that time to work.
If anyone by chance does find a magic solution, particularly for balance, let me know. Hopefully these suggestions will help. When you think about how much you are making an hour, there is a good chance that hiring out the cleaning and occasional babysitting will be worth it.
I have trouble getting everything done (i.e., dishes, laundry, showers, feeding my family, cleaning the house, visiting the sick, delivering cookies, etc.) and I don’t have a job! I think that you’re doing a great job and that you’re a great person and friend and sister!!!
Just thought you’d want to know: FranklinCovey is all one word.
As for all the other stuff, I say double your rates and hire a private cook and nanny. What? It could work.
Have a nice Friday!
ummm, I just have a job. No husband, no kids. And I hire someone to clean my small one bedroom apartment once a month and rarely to never cook meals for myself. I’ve learned, the less I have to do the less I accomplish. Sorry, no great solution suggestions from me.