after stressing out BIG TIME a couple months back, i decided to get my butt into gear and focus. i was all over the place – working at night (not on anything personal related), working later at night (personal related), kids waking up at all hours so i wasn’t sleeping, always checking email and twitter and i was slowly turning into a zombie of my former self.
one thing that’s really helping me is making a background/wallpaper for my computer, which shows a day to day schedule of what i need to do from 9pm to 12 midnight. i read it as soon as i start up my computer and get to work. schedules/routines actually make me less stressed, so having this up as a guide for my week is a lifesaver.
what am i doing all week? researching baby related products for the Australian Baby Blog, an afternoon for writing blog posts only, time for reading design related updates on twitter, and weekends are free from the computer completely. i’ve even allocated time for socialising online (and offline) – something that i never ‘get around to’ but is vital if you want to make connections and form genuine relationships. i’m trying to work in some time to do something design related for fun!
and since i wasn’t getting enough sleep, my rule for every weekday night is that i have to be done by 11.30pm.
i love that everything has it’s place and if i follow it, i know it’s taken care of and i can concentrate on spending quality time with the kids and Regan 🙂 it stops me from being a slave to confusion and i can walk away from the computer feeling like i’ve actually completed what i need to.
do you like routine? has it made a difference in your life?