Finding Time
by Tammy Pfaff
For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1
a time for every activity under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1
The last few months, life seems to be whizzing by in my hustle and bustle. I was getting so tired from all the stress that I was falling behind not only in my writing but also things that should get done around the house. I was lacking in self-care and self-time. When I did have a little free time, I was too tired to do anything. I’m sure you get it, dealing with life. It can get messy. Let’s face it, our lives are filled with busyness. Maybe all we need is a little encouragement.
I have a bunch of wonderful writing friends that I keep in touch with regularly. We encourage each other, we listen to each other, and we try to hold each other accountable in achieving our goals. Not just with our writing but on a personal level as well.
I’ve been whining about not being able to write, either because I have no time or my dog Loretta won’t let me. Literally, she won’t. I’ll sit down at my desk downstairs and no sooner will she start scratching my arms and legs with her large paws and bark at me. She wants my undivided attention. It is so annoying. Patience. She is a year old now. She has calmed down a little but she is still in puppy mode.
Over a month ago, I realized we have a spare bedroom upstairs. Only, it was filled up with clothing bins, bedroom furniture and bags. There was so much stuff, it was overwhelming. Not to mention, the attic needed cleaned up in order to move the storage bins to a better place. Wouldn’t it be lovely if I could have an office I could escape to with a door to close? But how would I ever find the time or energy?
One day I received a letter from one of my friends. Isn’t it so much fun getting a personal letter in the mail? What a nice surprise! It was a letter of encouragement to ponder the idea of cleaning out that room in smaller chunks of time. A little here, a little there. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. (I’ll let you in on a secret, I do I have a little problem with all or nothing thinking. Anyway, it was such a sweet and encouraging letter that I took her advice. Slowly I pushed myself to sort through the mess and bag things up for Good Will, in spare chunks of time. Even when I was tired, I pushed myself with the end result in mind as a prize for my hard work. I tried to use the method, “if we haven’t used it in a year, we don’t need it.”
Once I was done, I decided to paint the lime and blue walls a fresh coat of white. It took an entire week. No help. (Let me just say, I realized I was a bit younger the last time I painted a room.)
After selling the bedroom furniture, I was able to purchase carpet at the Home Depot.
I found an awesome deal on Market Place and bought a large white desk for my new office upstairs. I bought a lovely misty mint office chair and painted some art work. I even have a mini grey recliner for reading and writing. Now I can escape from time to time. I have a space!
I have a bunch of wonderful writing friends that I keep in touch with regularly. We encourage each other, we listen to each other, and we try to hold each other accountable in achieving our goals. Not just with our writing but on a personal level as well.
I’ve been whining about not being able to write, either because I have no time or my dog Loretta won’t let me. Literally, she won’t. I’ll sit down at my desk downstairs and no sooner will she start scratching my arms and legs with her large paws and bark at me. She wants my undivided attention. It is so annoying. Patience. She is a year old now. She has calmed down a little but she is still in puppy mode.
Over a month ago, I realized we have a spare bedroom upstairs. Only, it was filled up with clothing bins, bedroom furniture and bags. There was so much stuff, it was overwhelming. Not to mention, the attic needed cleaned up in order to move the storage bins to a better place. Wouldn’t it be lovely if I could have an office I could escape to with a door to close? But how would I ever find the time or energy?
One day I received a letter from one of my friends. Isn’t it so much fun getting a personal letter in the mail? What a nice surprise! It was a letter of encouragement to ponder the idea of cleaning out that room in smaller chunks of time. A little here, a little there. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. (I’ll let you in on a secret, I do I have a little problem with all or nothing thinking. Anyway, it was such a sweet and encouraging letter that I took her advice. Slowly I pushed myself to sort through the mess and bag things up for Good Will, in spare chunks of time. Even when I was tired, I pushed myself with the end result in mind as a prize for my hard work. I tried to use the method, “if we haven’t used it in a year, we don’t need it.”
Once I was done, I decided to paint the lime and blue walls a fresh coat of white. It took an entire week. No help. (Let me just say, I realized I was a bit younger the last time I painted a room.)
After selling the bedroom furniture, I was able to purchase carpet at the Home Depot.
I found an awesome deal on Market Place and bought a large white desk for my new office upstairs. I bought a lovely misty mint office chair and painted some art work. I even have a mini grey recliner for reading and writing. Now I can escape from time to time. I have a space!
My new office What is my point?
Well, I guess what I am trying to get across are two ideas:
Well, I guess what I am trying to get across are two ideas:
- Take a few minutes of time out of your day and encourage someone either by picking up the phone or sending a letter or card.
- If you feel overwhelmed with getting a project done, do a little at a time (ten minutes to a half hour) a few days a week. It feels good!
RSS Feed