I’ll tell you what, re-entry after a show is *hard*. The weeks leading up to a show are crazy with the prep work, but the week after a show is so much harder for me. I think because I put off all the other “life” stuff while I am getting ready for a big event, it then all comes up to yell HERE’S JOHNNY! in my face the week after.
Carolina Fiber Fest Booth
I am obviously someone who thrives on being organized. In fact I would say I require it. Like air or water. But the week after a show is so disorganized it leaves me feeling chaotic and unproductive. I flutter from one task to another without any real progress. I start working on cleaning the kitchen and go downstairs for paper towels, and get distracted by the pile of scraps that need to be sorted. While I am sorting fabric I realize I need to update the scrap shop. While I am updating that I get a convo on etsy about a custom order. While I am ordering fabric for that I remember I need zippers. I check what size I need and get pulled into sweeping up the studio because the dust balls are moving on their own. While I am sweeping downstairs I realize I should sweep upstairs too, and come to find out that the kitchen hasn’t magically cleaned itself while I have been doing 12 other things. (Damn elves. So lazy.) And then I figure out that I have left the paper towel downstairs. Repeat infinitely.
I am a list maker by nature, and love my little 2Do app. Each day I make a list of things that MUST get finished (orders usually) and then tack on a ton of other things that I will do if I get all of the must-dos done. The result of this is that I work way too many hours and then just crash into bed. Especially if TJ is traveling and I am home to work unchecked and undisturbed by things like making dinner or lunch.
But over the last few months I have realized that all of this is leaving me so. sacked. Being your own boss sounds so romantic, and I do really love it. But I work sooooo much harder and longer than I did when I had a 9-5 job. Weekends don’t exist (or at least they are not a whole lot different than weekdays). And I place crazy high expectations on myself. So here is what I have been trying over the last couple of weeks: make a list of things that must get done that day each morning. Full stop. Don’t tack on extras, don’t flit from job to job, just do what has to be done that day. And then be happy with it. I’m telling you, this is so hard for me. Most days the list of must-dos still means a 10 or 12 hour day, but I have trouble stopping it there and not making it a 14 or 16 hour day. So in the interest of honesty, I am putting it out in “the world” in hopes that I will be accountable for not making myself a crazy person. Today I really need a reset so I am doing that though this post. Resetting.
I truly and utterly love what it is that I do, and I really want to keep it that way for a very long time. Anyone else out there working for themselves or a small business after doing the corporate or 9-5 thing? Any advice? Any pearls of wisdom on how you keep it from taking over everything?
