Last night I was flipping through my journal where I keep my ideas and lists for things to do online. I ended up on the page I’d made about the goals I’d wanted to accomplish for the month of January. I have to admit the list isn’t all that long and the general goals weren’t really that hard - it would take work that is for sure… but I thought at the time it was manageable.
What I didn’t realize was that some of the projects are taking a lot longer than I’d expected. You know how that is - you do something that then requires 5 tweaks and you’re still not done 2 weeks later. It’s a bit frustrating in terms of my timeline, but the jobs themselves aren’t terrible either. But I have come to realize that I really do need to stick to a timeline. I’m already into the middle of the month and about only 1/4 way through my list of things I wanted to do. Honestly that’s being generous with the timeline. I’m no where near where I should be.
So because I’ve kind of fallen behind and some aspects of my to-do list has taken on a much larger roll than I’d anticipated - I’ve been spending way to many a night up way to damn late and then I’m up again early, early to go to my day job. Tired. I hate that. Everything seems so much more dramatic when you’re tired and over-reacting is what I seem to do best. So today, because I’m tired… I’m taking it easy.  Tonight I’m working until 10:00 instead of 1:00am and getting up at 6:30am. 5 1/2 hours for this girl is just not enough. UGH. I’ve been pulling this schedule now for the past week and it’s totally wearing me down.   I’m hoping to have one project done tonight and another one for tomorrow. That leaves me with one biggie project to do - and then it’s free sailing. For a little while at least.
I’m enjoying everything, but the late nights are starting to wear me down a bit.
If you have a day job somewhere else - and you’ve got projects on the go in the evening… how do you cope? Is it RedBull and shots of expresso? Or have you learned to manage your time?
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January 17th, 2008 at 11:51 am
I feel your pain. This post is kinda scary because it’s identical to my life. Up late - feel like nothing gets done - up early for the day job… Back at it late into the night again. Lot’s of caffeine and just learn to go on without sleep
January 17th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I’m totally living the same thing right now…if only someone could invent a way to add more hours in a day…how I deal with it? I suck it up…I look like a zombie from 6:45 till noon, but after that it’s smooth sailing!!
January 18th, 2008 at 5:43 am
The last two days have been tough for me as well.
On average I only get 5 hours sleep per night, but the night before last I only got 2½ hours.
I’m falling behind in my tasks for this month and it’s irriating me (because I schedule one day per week for rest or catch up and now that I’m behind I lose my day).
It’s tough working a full time job (10+hours/day), raising two kids (3½ & 1½), and on top of it trying to make a living online.
But like you said… it’s still enjoyable as well. Well atleast the kids and making money online aspect anyway. I look foward to harvest time when I can start see the fruits of my labour.
~Shannon
January 27th, 2008 at 5:10 am
I lived this way for many years now, until recently when I decided to try a new tactic. I decided to run an experiment in sleeping for 7-8 hours a night, as humans are meant to do. This, in theory, would allow me to be well-rested and clear-minded, yet still give me enough time to work on the dozens of projects I have going at any given time.
So lately I’ve been waking up at 4:30 am, working from 5:30 am to 2:30 pm, working on my own projects until 8:30 or so, and going to sleep by 9 pm.
I feel great in the mornings. Synapses firing like a meth-addict with a gatling gun. Energy levels measured in roentegens. Luckily, the day job is mindless and repetitive in a mostly soothing fashion, which allows me to do alot of thinking and planning on non work-related issues. I have more, and better, ideas by lunchtime than I used to havee all week during my zombie years.
But there’s a downside. All of those ideas add more little boxes to my already bulging-and-creaking ‘To Do’ list. And all of that sleep cuts my available ‘Free Time’ down to five hours or less per night.
So I’ve decided that there is no solution to this problem, other than panning for the Great Idea that will enable me to lose the day job and focus all of my time on the four thousand lesser, but no less loved, ideas that weep for my attentions. Invictus.
January 28th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Not everyday I get the word Invictus thrown my way. I know that feeling of having the big To-Do list and it just seems to get longer and longer for me.
It doesn’t seem to matter what I try to schedule I ALWAYS seem to get myself de-railed. Either by checking the email/sending replies, checking the RSS, visiting my favourite sites on the net that are total time-sinks. I’m fully aware of it - and lately I’ve been really trying to focus on the task at hand rather than getting overwhelmed by the big list or the distractions. I’m trying to schedule when I do those “other” things rather than my projects.
So by being more aware, I’ve been able to free up a little more time. Not enough mind you (I don’t know if I’ll ever get to that!)… but it’s really quiet honestly very nice to read other people having the same time issues I have (makes me feel less crazy… LOL… or maybe we’re all crazy!)