Being Busy
Today I learned that I step up my game when it's needed.
Our schedules have been incredibly busy over the last couple of weeks. I used the expression run ragged recently when someone mentioned I had too much time on my hands. We've been joking about how we're literally juggling multiple projects at once. We can't imagine what it's like to have a couple teenagers in the house with their own schedules to juggle.
Ginny is wrapping up her doctoral dissertation while in the middle of some staffing changes at work. I've taken a major project while juggling clients and coaching tennis. We've also got major renovations going on at the house so there are various contractors coming and going. We spent about fifteen hours this weekend pulling wallpaper and painting because we've got an electrical contractor in this week to wire up the den cabinets1 just so I can get my office moved before the work starts upstairs2.
The last time I remember being this busy was back when I was finishing college and I learned something valuable in the process. Because I was on my own by the time I finished college, I was working two jobs and going to school full time. The whole 'I don't have time' thing is mostly non-sense. What you really don't have is motivation. I'd work my classes in between my job schedules and then do homework from 11pm until 1am. I realized that you find the time when you need it.
The next couple of months is hammer time 🔨literally3... they'll be on our roof hard at it. I've managed to line up a second office at a client's office so I'll be able to get their work done. I've got our dog on a biking schedule so we get our exercise. I've got cameras set up to monitor the construction and Iris. I've got the boys motivated enough to pull out the tennis ball hopper and warm up before I get there. I've got tablet in bed to pre-knock-out email communications. I try to line up easy meals and knock at the grocery shopping the wee morning hours. We skip the tv and internet scrolling almost entirely with maybe just an hour wind down time.
We've got one small break lined up at the end of this month to give us a little respite, but then it'll go on until mid-May when Ginny graduates and the home repairs are wrapping up. I've found that if you just put your head down and get after it, the time just seems to be there. There was even enough for me to warm up my brain on an essay before I got rolling this morning. Although it won't be that long before we'll get our weekends back, we're also somewhat realistic in knowing it'll really be about eight years before we can really start to slow down. Even then, I'm too busy brained and I'll end up being the crazy old man who's always got multiple projects going... because why not? It's fun. Life is short and time ⏱️ is whatever you make of it.