On Chapter Four of revisions. Just Chapter Four? Well, I had to rewrite two chapters so I think that’s pretty good, doggone it! Okay, sorry for the tone, I plan to make up for it tomorrow. Butt in chair+laptop and typing=writing done. Oh, and I haven’t forgotten about your Unbeweavable stories! Thanks to all of you that have told me your stories about your weave experiences. Some of you guys really cracked me up! Stay tuned, I’ll post a new story soon. If you love your weave and want to share your story, go ahead and shoot me an email.
Being a stay-at-home mother can feel like you’re never doing enough.
When I’m writing I feel guilty that I’m not playing with my daughter. When I’m playing with my daughter, I’m looking at the clothes stacking up in the laundry and feel guilty that I’m not washing them. When I do finally get to the laundry I look at my flowers outside and feel guilty when I’m see a few drooping from being too dry. When I’m outside watering, I’m looking at my hands and feet and wondering when I’m going to take a few moments and treat myself to a manicure and pedicure. It’s like I’m riding a guilt train with no sign of getting off.
I cram so much into one day I would have to be superhuman to get it all done. So I’m getting off at the next station. No more guilt fests. My way out? A realistic evaluation of my priorities. Time to follow a schedule I can actually stick with, not planning every iota of my day—just giving each day a different priority.
So instead of a schedule like this:
7:00 am Wake up
7:10 am Begin breakfast.
7:30 am Feed daughter and eat.
It will look more like this:
Monday
Priority One: Laundry
Priority Two: Work with daughter on letters and numbers
Priority Three: Finish revision of Chapter Four
Tuesday
Priority One: Finish revision of Chapter Four
Priority Two: Get Groceries
Priority Three: Make dinner large enough to last two days.
I’ll give myself a very short list of priorities, (I’ve decided anything more than five is just too much. Not that I can’t do more than five things in a day—I just want to do more than five things in a day well, giving my best to each task instead of piling myself with too many things and slapping things together due to pure exhaustion.) and whatever I don’t finish the previous day becomes my top priority for the next day. I’ve only just started with this system but so far so good. As I’m working on marketing for Unbeweavable and revising my next book, I give them each the priority that they are due for that day.
It takes a lot to see your limitations and realize that you can’t do it all. I’m not superwoman. And I don’t feel guilty for admitting it.
[...] I promised last week, here is another Unbeweavable Story. I promise to keep them coming! And without further ado, this [...]
congrats on getting off the guilt train. Most good mothers tend to put themselves last and then feel guilty when necessity requires that their at the top of the list;i.e. mani/pedi. Just always remember, when the plane going down & the oxygen masks falls, put yours own first or won’t be able to save anyone.
So true. I have been trying to keep a better schedule and it really has helped. I’ve been taking better care of myself, and that only comes by making me a priority.