The Life and Projects of An Avid Hobbyist

Sunday, January 9, 2011

The Best-laid Plans of Mice and (Wo)men...

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Random and unrelated photo

Last year was a very instructive year for me, I had several plans and goals for the year, yet ended up spending it in much of a haze.  Between my usual shenanigans, a rapid expansion project at work, and cancer caregiver responsibilities I was in a stupor.  But I am a pack mule**. 

I pride myself on getting ridiculously large amounts of production completed in small amounts of time (I know, I know.  I'm working it out in therapy).

Somewhat related, I am a very organized professional but not so much so on the personal front.  I end up discarding more groceries than I consume.  I often eat unplanned meals on the run and have to pry myself away from work to handle personal matters (like my lapsed vehicle registration).  I am endeavoring to bring that into better balance.  This is a long-term life's challenge. I love this blog that gives lots of tips on how to face and address your disorganization.

I realized very late in 2010 that my tendency to work harder does not easily allow for taking vacations, doing less and/or reassessing commitments.  It also leads to poor stewardship of my personal resources.  I currently find myself in a position where I have more "stuff" than I can reasonably manage.

Anywho, how does all of this relate to 2011?  

I now know that I have more stashes (fashion fabric, quilting fabric, yarn and notions) than I can responsibly use.  At least not without a plan.  

So my plan/goal for 2011?  To be a better steward of my personal and community resources.  I have plans to use up/donate stashes to create more time and space to fully enjoy myself....even if that means doing nothing at all.  As I make plans, I'll share them. ~ksp
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**This is from a rudimentary personality rubric, a friend of mine shared with me several years ago.  It goes something like this.  There are two types of women in the world: cheerleaders and pack-mules.

Cheerleaders: Women who are generally more concerned with appearances than doing the heavy-lifting.  Often intelligent, these women are not willing to commit to tasks that involve them leaving their comfort zones or getting too dirty.

Pack Mules: These women are the antithesis of cheerleaders.  Pack mules are all about getting it done, no matter the human toll.  Extra hours? Check.  Heavy lifting? Check.  Need me to use my personal resources? No problem.

1 comment:

Donna Lee said...

Ouch. I think I have been a pack mule most of my life. Maybe we need to learn to be mules in cheerleader clothing? I have gradually learned to let go of a job and rest. It's a hard won skill. Yes, a skill. To be able to put down a task and know when to say "enough" is as much a skill as picking up the task to start with.

But, you're in social services. You KNOW this stuff!