People often ask me how come I get as much stuff done as I do. I work full time, so I'm only free after 5pm in the week. Wednesday nights I'm usually at the Coventry Knit Wits and every 3rd Thursday I'm in Leicester at the Manor House MK club. At least once a week I try and get a nordic walk in; Monday nights is housework night, and Mondays/Thursdays/Fridays are often gym nights too. So my schedule is pretty packed! Online I moderate a big Rav group, I maintain the Manor House website plus my own needlesofsteel website. So, how do I do it all? Well, sometimes I'm not entirely sure myself! My theory is that all of us are on a "tourist pass" in this life, so I fully intend to do and see and learn as much as I can, whilst I'm on the earth.
Last night was fairly easy - G had made spag bol on Friday, so I just had to cook some pasta and reheat the leftovers (he's getting leftover barbecue chicken tonight, I reckon that trumps bolognaise as long as he doesn't give himself salmonella!). I get home, feed the cat, fix myself some dinner, eat whilst surfing the 'net on the tablet. Then I baked a batch of fairy cakes - this is unusual but it's for a MacMillan coffee morning we're having at work on Thursday. Whilst the cakes were baking, I started the ironing, and then finished that whilst they were cooling down. Then I iced the cakes - nothing fancy as I had nothing fancy in - just plain white icing, got changed for the gym and went and did a work out. Came home and read for a bit before bed. I clock-watch a lot - do I have time for that/this - and if it's important enough (like the baking) it goes in my smartphone calendar so that it happens. If I've an hour, I think, what can I fit into that hour? Knit a swatch? Clean something (bah!)? Sew something? I've been working on some xmas gifts and am just doing little bits as and when I get time. I need to embroider one more design and then finish up the items and they're done, bar the wrapping. I do tend to prioritise craft stuff over boring stuff (hello dishwasher!) but most household chores can be squeezed in somewhere along the line.
Don't have time? If it's important enough to you, you'll make time. Use your diary. Book things eg classes. Book "me-time". Plan how you can efficiently make a start on a project. Plan to group similar tasks together eg pinning stuff ready to sew up, ironing in batches etc.
But make sure you have a cut-off - mine is 10pm. After 10pm it's quiet time for me - reading in bed or something. Otherwise I swear I'd be hoovering gone midnight and I'd run myself ragged.
So there ya go. My theory on time management. It's not much of a theory, but it's mine, and I'm sticking with it!
PS the craft room is almost done, now it's just deciding where to put everything and how best to organise it. The best part I think! :)
PPS I tried and failed to get a decent sample of the Passap E6000's version of card 3 at the weekend - patt 1004, tech 133. Kept hanging on the colour changer end, awful mess. Will try again at the weekend. Need to knit a hat for a competition and it's the only machine currently up apart from the CSM.
Current mood:
determined
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