Time Management and Blogging

I set the timer for 22 minutes. That is how much time I have to try and put the thoughts in my head, down on space with the keyboard before getting ready for work.  I truly love my "job" as a blogger. I get to write about anything that strikes my fancy, without layers of others weighing in, changing voice, adding phrases , and generally changing the direction, even if slightly, of my intent. Granted, I could really use a good copy editor-sorry again for the typos.  Even checking and double checking, I miss them. At work, I write a lot, but nothing is for public viewing before no less than five sets of eyes have been on it. Even so,  a very large report , out there on the web for all to see, made it through to the website, with a graph mislabeled,  and a section, that explained a pivotal part of the report, was deleted. Of course one of my programs chief critics noticed the error first.  Errrr! It was fixed and reposted. 

Where was I? Yes, time to blog is very important to me, even if I only have a few minutes a day. It has become a part of how I start my morning, and I feel like I'm off kilter if I do not put some words down ready for cyberspace. Is this another example of  how I've become a card carrying member of a self centered world? I prefer to think of it as inexpensive therapy. I do though want some degree of interest, so setting a timer, typing away, might be fine for me, but not for the poor sods that stumble upon and read the blathering. Along with  creating time to write, I've been trying to organize a little time to do some topic research and include an interesting link or two when appropriate. Like today, when I want to write, but time is limited, ideas muddled, a source for an idea topic might come in handy. The Sits Girls have a free ebook containing 38 blogging topics. You can find it HERE. I enjoyed the process of working on creative writing at Sam and Writing, where Natalia at In the Writer's Closet posted Write and Link. The daily and monthly prompts were good idea starters. 

Blogging's a fun hobby and I know for some, a lucrative  money earner. Like anything, to do something well, or at least do something better this week than you did it the last week, takes some practice. For me, that means setting time aside for thinking about and writing about the stuff I want to share and to set that time aside regularly, if only for a small amount of time. The timer just went off-practice is over for the day.

Recipe for the Perfect Day Off

 Unless you are so phenomenally rich that you don't have to work for a living because your money works for you, I don't know too many people that do not look forward to a day off. Regardless if your work is outside or inside the home for a paycheck, or you are the main provider of your families care, feeding, and bill paying, and generally  responsible for the executive functions of the home, having an entire day off with no responsibilities to squash the feeling of freedom is rare. At least in my world they are. Most of this is of my own making with too many commitments, and silly me, having another child when my first two kids were approaching the age of independance.The other part is also still me-guilt about the things not getting done; the chaos and the clutter, That I ended up using a day off to scramble to get things done quickly, only to then exhaust myself-a pure recipe for a Netflix binge.

I'm going to work on a new recipe. This recipe will begin with me scheduling time each night on my calendar for a certain amount of home management, and honing my ability to be a ruthless purger. I worked hard the last two weeks getting parts of the home organized to the point I felt comfortable hosting a guest. It's not perfect, but the room feels almost like a sanctuary. There's a bed, a dresser and mirror, the built in nightstands and a comfy chair.  A few books, and DVDs plus a small t.v. and DVD player rounds it out. No clutter, but has all the room needs. If I spend 5-6 days a week with scheduled organizing, the 7th, and potentially the 6th as well can be free and clear for nothing but play. 

My perfect day off starts with sleeping until my body says it is no longer tired. Now, because of my racing mind, even though my internal clock wakes me up by 5:00, I know I'm still tired. I'd putter around for a while, still in my pajamas, blissfully enjoying my coffee, no where I have to be. Then, I'd get myself pulled together, and meet a friend for a late breakfast out. I don't mean a muffin.  I want biscuits and gravy, a couple eggs, hashbrowns, the whole full country breakfast. With or without friend, I'd wander off to explore somewhere. Depending on the weather, it could be a museum, a gallery, an antique mall, a walkable neighborhood, a good park, any kind of location can work as long as there are places to poke around and no one gives me a time limit. 

Much later, meeting up with friend and family for appy's and drinks would hit the spot, impromptu becasue my earlier outing was on no one's, not even mine, clock. Here's the newness of all my new decluttering time. Either or both the breakfast and happy hour can be in my own home, because I am now so organized, I can whip up both, enjoy, and have the evidence cleaned up as quick as driving somewhere. I'd cap off my perfect day off with a night with family and or friends. This could be a game night, pizza and poker with the girls, a sporting event,  listening to live music, anything that has a little action to it. Once I got in my bed, happy to do so because the day was so fulfilling, I'd sleep blissfully through the night again. 

What makes a day of play perfect for you? Do you feel like you are getting enough of them, or are your days, like I'm allowing mine to do, controlling you? This is my perfect day off, and I think it is about time to schedule one. A week from Friday sounds good. Who's up for joining me? I have a guest room now. 

Perfect deck of cards for an American Anglophile.