And so it was, whilst lying face down on the treatment table in the Chiropractic’s office with the bones in my spine being cracked and the muscles of my back being pummelled, that I had that ‘Sacre bleu’ moment.
This short break from the chaos of everyday life let the answer to my current dilemma seep into my conscious mind.
I’ve often pondered why I try to keep different parts of my life separate from the rest. And the answer hit me…. BECAUSE IT WORKS FOR ME.
I’ve been fighting myself for ages trying to mash everything together and make it all work seamlessly. It doesn’t. It just causes confusion, frustration and disappointment.
The early bird used to catch the worm
When I was still an employee I was able to take advantage of the morning hours by getting up very early (4.30am) and doing my most important tasks first as advocated by the likes of Leo Babauta and Dave Navarro.
I can’t deny that it made a big improvement to my productivity. I got things done at work and got ahead of the game instead of playing catch up all the time.
I’ve been fighting hard to get back to that because it was a way of life I enjoyed and it came with a raft of benefits.
I’ve tried to be the early riser again over the last few months since becomeing a stay at home dad, but I just can’t seem to do it consistently, which leaves me feeling frustrated. (There are reasons for this which would bear scrutiny at some other time.)
I may well shoot for that ideal again one day, but at the moment it’s not feasible for me, so I’m going to go for the next best option (which may even turn out to be the best option for me).
The night owl
I’m going to get up at a normal time, 7am, and stay awake until 11pm/midnight.
7am is the latest time I can get out of bed and be on time to get the school run underway. The decision is made for me and there’s no need to call on my will power. I have no choice – I have to get up. Easy!
Setting a bedtime will also ensure that I get enough sleep. Seven or eight hours, even if it’s disturbed, is enough sleep.
Between 8pm and bedtime I’m going to hive off those hours and work predominantly on those things that are going to move my life forward:
- Exercise
- Administration/Paperwork/Planning
- Writing (blogging)
- Reading
- Bringing in money (mostly eBay (initially))
History is on my side
Previous attempts at getting fit saw me exercising quite late in the evening and I got good results from it. I’m going to start my exercise regime again next week.
Further proof that this can work for me comes from my previous employment. My old career required me to write some fairly comprehensive and in-depth reports in the evening and nighttime hours. It’s not exactly conducive to producing great work but I managed to train myself to focus, and it didn’t seem to stunt the creativity too much.
I am naturally a night owl, so acknowledging this and making sympathetic adjustments feels right.
Compartmentalising is good for me
The evening will be full of activity but it will also be my time to relax and indulge myself in those activities that interest me, without being distracted and without feeling guilty or resentful.
The daytime will also be busy. In the morning I’m going to focus on the housework and meal preparation. In the afternoon and early evening I’m going to focus on the needs of my children and I’m going to make time to play with them (something I don’t do nearly enough of).
I’m going to start this new model by having a four-day week. I’ll run it Monday to Thursday, and on Friday Saturday and Sunday evenings I’ll have family time.
Of course there will inevitably be some overlap into each part of the day, and I recognise the value in staying flexible.
I’ve already started doing this today. At 7.30pm after I put the children to bed I showered, shaved and got dressed for ‘work’. I then sat down to write this post and it’s been a quite a refreshing experience.
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A quick update: I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to publish a new post but I took to heart the advice I’ve been given in the comments and trusted that I won’t be deserted even if I can’t post regularly. I do see a time when I will set a posting schedule and meet that schedule, but this last few days I had some really important things to take care of before writing my blog.
I believe that people should do what they say they are going to do, so I’ve been busy doing the things I outlined in my last post:
- I’ve set a grocery budget
- I’ve written a meal plan
- I’ve listed something on eBay
- I’ve reviewed my finances
I pleased that I’ve done those things, as it makes me a man of my word.
The process although painful, has also allowed me to find funds I’d forgotten about or ‘mislaid’. These include overpayments and small investments. I’m currently in the process of recovering those funds to my bank account. I know this is a one-off event and that I won’t be able to find any more change down the back of the couch, so it cements my determination to stay on track.
I’m starting to find the right balance now. It feels so rewarding.
Dave
