Sherman’s got it down. Napping with Snuffle Bear whenever he feels like it. I know there’s a lesson for me here. After the June whirlwind of getting ready for my exhibit and having the opening, it feels like I can finally take a breath again. Stop and look around. Oh yeah, I have a garden that’s wilting! And—oh yeah!—didn’t I used to sew my own clothes and play the ukulele and read books?
Prepping for the show took such blinders-on focus that left a lot of other things behind. I know people who seem to be able to go full-speed-ahead without going crazy, but I wind up either getting sick or having a bit of a mental meltdown. *sigh*
There is still what seems a huge amount of things to do to keep Flying Adventures moving forward, and there’s a LOT I didn’t get done before the show, even with all the time in the world to prepare. I kick myself for procrastinating on things I shouldn’t have, etc etc. Why do we beat ourselves up for stuff like this? There’s always going to be more you could have done, no matter how much you DID do! Grrrr.
Back in school, there were the kids who planned way ahead for their projects and papers and seemed on top of that whole process. Then there were the last-minuters who either managed to cobble something passable together, or who practically killed themselves to get a top grade. I always found myself in the camp somewhere in between the planners and the procrastinators. I don’t want to think of a project all semester long, but I don’t want to wait until the last minute either.
Unfortunately my middle of the road approach never worked because I’d either underestimate how long it would take to do the various tasks on the list, or I would constantly recalibrate the schedule based on how much time was left. Who wants to be done early just to sit around & wait, right?? I always seem to want to slide in right on the deadline. Unfortunately this doesn’t leave room for the inevitable disaster, delay, or needed day off, and winds up giving me reasons to get down on myself later for all that I didn’t finish. It’s really self-sabotage disguised as some false sense of mastery over time management.
I think I’m finally done with that. I need to be more mindful when I’m planning, leave breathing room, and, yes, even finish early if that’s what happens. Some creative people feel more creative when they’re pushing time limits, but I’m finally realizing it just stresses me out. I need to take my cue from the Sherm. If I can’t have a nap or play ukulele or sew a new dress or read a book while working on a big project, something’s wrong.