Saturday Selections: Stay the Course

These collected articles about getting things done in different areas of life is disguised as one of those productivity posts. (I don’t know about you, but I’m busy enough. I don’t need more busy.) So it’s not exactly that.

Home, Work, Creative life: It all goes together

I do need to keep going and work on systems that support a home in process of being reorganized and freelance/creative work I pursue. These tips apply to jobs, creative work, and home life, children included: my favorite kind of efficiency.

• Keep Showing Up and Finishing Stuff This advice is geared toward writers, but it’s an encouragement for me when I get in a stressful cycle of overwhelm at home. It works for the creative work, for work work, for homemaking. This doesn’t just mean busy stuff. Maybe finish the blog post started three months ago that you still want to publish, maybe finish the painting left on an easel. Maybe finish that phone conversation with a friend or the family Monopoly game.

• Look here: If You Don’t Choose Your Work Habits, Your Work Habits Will Choose You. I’m not sure who coined the phrase, “we teach people how to treat us,” but oh, it’s true. And especially valuable for stay-at-home parents to remember. I’ve made the mistake of being unreasonably flexible in situations because I could, and then regretted not protecting my time. (read the part about “the cycle of responsiveness” ).

• The 2016-2017 school year is well underway. My boys (still kinda young) don’t have many complaints when school starts, but this was good for me to read through: 3 Tips for New School Year Complaints. Note to self: listen, and not talk after.

And…A Little Reminiscing about Summer (now that fall is really here)

Staying the course means taking occasional breaks to laugh and rest cheer yourself up when you need it:

• Oh, how I love to laugh, and this made me laugh out loud: 40 Things Everyone But You is Doing This Summer. I actually did #10. Cold brew AND a laptop out. (But I assure you, the screen is quite filthy.)