Lost: one summer routine
We’re now two weeks into summer and I still haven’t gotten anywhere near establishing a normal routine. The more I look at our calendar of events, the less I believe routine will have any part in this summer. It looks much more like I’ll be muddling through one thing after another. At least now I have pinned dates onto major events. This helps me picture how to plan things.
Today was the XDM release planning meeting. We met with the Hickmans over lunch to discuss merchandise, marketing, and scheduling. I was incredibly stressed going into the meeting. I knew that I would emerge from the meeting with a To Do list. I’ve been scrambling to try to clear away all the post-shipping stuff so I could have a clear schedule for the incoming To Do items. I didn’t manage it. Fortunately that didn’t matter. I should have remembered what a joy the Hickmans are to work with. I came out of the meeting less stressed, and surprised to realize that most of the To Dos assigned to me had already been on my list. Also lunch was really yummy. I’m sorely tempted to hop in the car and go buy dinner. But I won’t. We’re in solid financial shape right now, but with the income from XDM a great big question mark and expenses for two huge conventions coming up, it is wise to be cautious about spending. XDM is going to consume most of my business attention in July.
I think what I’m having the most trouble with is work/life balance. During the school year I have nicely segregated sections of time which are devoted to either work or family. But if I wait until the kids are not around to get work done, the work would never get done. So it is all muddled up together. Time for me to be alone and recharge is next to non-existent. Granted, there are times when the kids happily occupy themselves for several hours, but there are also times when I am interrupted every 5-10 minutes for hours on end. If I could know which to expect in advance I could plan for it. Instead I’m constantly trying to juggle paying attention to kids and paying attention to work. Whichever I pick, part of my brain is certain that I have picked wrong.
I am optimistic about next week. I have no business events scheduled. Perhaps I can catch up on maintenance tasks and get a glimpse of the ever-elusive routine. The glimpse will be brief. Routine will be scared back into hiding because the following week is awash in company coming to visit. Company is happy, but definitely not routine.