I lost 2.5 lbs as of last Monday, and I'll weigh in again tonight. The first week I dove right in and took as many classes as I could fit into my schedule. It was partly because I wanted to try things and partly to relieve the stress of some tough projects. Oh, and one more part--to offset the damage of a weekend in NJ for Easter.
This past week, I felt like I had trouble getting to the gym as often as I would have liked, and I also felt hungrier. Tonight, I made myself a PB&J at about 8:30 because I was feeling as if I had skipped dinner, but I hadn't. Not sure what that's all about. It's not the usual snackiness that I can fight off, I was Hungry (not the capital H).
Still trying to move into the new office space. I finished painting Saturday night, and today I reorganized my paper files so I could hopefully have less paper to move.
I'm making a lot of big changes all at once, and while I'm impatient with the pace of my progress at times, I still feel like I'm moving in the right direction.
4.20.2009
4.06.2009
day one
Today is the start of the weight management program I signed up for at the gym, and I've got an ambitious plan for the week. I stayed up too late on Sunday night, but tonight I'm hitting the hay with the kids. I'm not bouncing back from the late nights like I used to, and I really don't want to pull those kinds of hours anymore.
Tony promised to take the kids to IHOP tonight which was not the ideal way to start the new program, but it was a realistic challenge to face. I managed to eat healthy and limited the picking I did from the kids' plates. Normally I would've "helped" Joy finish her silver dollars...but I did still eat her scrambled egg :-)
Tony promised to take the kids to IHOP tonight which was not the ideal way to start the new program, but it was a realistic challenge to face. I managed to eat healthy and limited the picking I did from the kids' plates. Normally I would've "helped" Joy finish her silver dollars...but I did still eat her scrambled egg :-)
4.01.2009
new trend
I am going to give up staying up all night working and I am going to get some sleep...really I am...starting tomorrow...
one line update
I am preparing to move my business into its first space outside of my home, cursing my sudden hay fever, getting caught up on work, feeling a little out of it, and looking forward to taking it easy and watching LOST tonight.
3.17.2009
office space
I have an opportunity to pick up office space downtown at a price I can afford, and I'm kind of a wreck about it. Why? I guess it's mostly because office space would mean a change to my routine and that is making me nervous. I don't have a lot of wiggle room in my current schedule so to disrupt it at all is kinda sorta terrifying. It means having to buck up and be presentable and keep some sort of normal business hours and somehow separate the currently completely intertwined work and family life.
I've talked to a few people about it, and their advice has been mixed. Some have been absolutely positive that it's a good move. Others think I've already got the perfect solution of having my whole life under one roof. I understand both sides, and while I think an office will be a good thing, I'm still struggling with it.
I have worked from home for 7 years, and I've worked in a basement office for the last 3 and a half. I've worked from home with kids for 5 years, and I've shared the office with Tony for 3. That's a lot of togetherness without sunlight, but all in all it's been a great experience. It's gotten more complicated over the years, but somehow we always get it all done.
PROS: More professional meeting and working space; windows(!); dedicated work hours; separating work and family life; could bring on an intern; close to post office, FedEx drop and the kids' school
CONS: Rent and utilities; juggling a new schedule/figuring out how to keep the kids happy; our biggest clients have never cared where we work; still have to do some work from home; it's not something I HAVE to do (just would like to...I think)
I've talked to a few people about it, and their advice has been mixed. Some have been absolutely positive that it's a good move. Others think I've already got the perfect solution of having my whole life under one roof. I understand both sides, and while I think an office will be a good thing, I'm still struggling with it.
I have worked from home for 7 years, and I've worked in a basement office for the last 3 and a half. I've worked from home with kids for 5 years, and I've shared the office with Tony for 3. That's a lot of togetherness without sunlight, but all in all it's been a great experience. It's gotten more complicated over the years, but somehow we always get it all done.
PROS: More professional meeting and working space; windows(!); dedicated work hours; separating work and family life; could bring on an intern; close to post office, FedEx drop and the kids' school
CONS: Rent and utilities; juggling a new schedule/figuring out how to keep the kids happy; our biggest clients have never cared where we work; still have to do some work from home; it's not something I HAVE to do (just would like to...I think)
1.06.2009
inspiration with a lack of concentration
I've got a million ideas and restored energy, and now I don't know what to do. I guess I've got a temporary (I hope) case of ADD.
I love that the new year and the rest I get during the holidays gives me a boost of optimism. However, this year the uncertainty of the economy and larger national issues that I usually don't spend much time contemplating are looming large and casting a big dark cloud on my usually sunny disposition. Maybe it's this uncertainty that's affecting my focus.
Today was the second real workday of the year, and I don't feel like I've gotten anything accomplished. By 5 p.m. I was completely frustrated so I took a break and dropped in on a meeting of the local writers' group. The Pen-to-Paper group is a branch of the arts foundation to which I belong, but this was the first time I joined them for a meeting.
Now I'm far from a writer, and I wear too many hats already, hats which at the moment are toppling off my head. But I am an avid reader, and I do write for fun in my spare time (big laugh).
The meeting was great, the membership was varied in their interests, and I felt comfortable and welcome right away. It gave me the itch to sit down tonight and post here as I try to regain focus.
For me, my many hats are a necessity. Each one has its own benefit, and often they complement each other. I am more excited about design when I've had a break to paint. Bookkeeping helps me to appreciate the fun parts of my job while making me more responsible with finances. Reading makes me want to write. Cooking encourages me want to reach out to friends and be more social. Making stuff and being crafty is a part of the way I teach my kids and revisit old family memories. Playtime with the kids forces me to be present in the moment and let the to-do list go for even a few minutes...although Cole's getting really good at folding towels.
Which leads me to combining hats...
I like the hat metaphor because I do feel a tangible shift when I move from one activity to another, but sometimes it makes me feel like my life is compartmentalized and less whole. Maybe I just have too many small hats and I need to choose a couple larger ones. What if instead of being a graphic designer and a pastel artist I could just be an artist? What if instead of a gardener and housekeeper, I was just a homeowner? How about instead of a self-employed graphic designer who does her own bookkeeping, I could be a business owner? Does it really matter? Well yes I think it does. It would mean recognizing the bigger picture and seeing some of what I do as natural extensions instead of yet another separate enterprise.
Multi-tasking is a word I both love and loathe. Folding laundry while watching the kids is fine, but when I try to catch up on an industry podcast while doing the invoicing and answering e-mail and then the phone rings...my brain cries for mercy. I have many resolutions this year, but I think a good one would be to only wear one hat a time...even if it's a big one.
I love that the new year and the rest I get during the holidays gives me a boost of optimism. However, this year the uncertainty of the economy and larger national issues that I usually don't spend much time contemplating are looming large and casting a big dark cloud on my usually sunny disposition. Maybe it's this uncertainty that's affecting my focus.
Today was the second real workday of the year, and I don't feel like I've gotten anything accomplished. By 5 p.m. I was completely frustrated so I took a break and dropped in on a meeting of the local writers' group. The Pen-to-Paper group is a branch of the arts foundation to which I belong, but this was the first time I joined them for a meeting.
Now I'm far from a writer, and I wear too many hats already, hats which at the moment are toppling off my head. But I am an avid reader, and I do write for fun in my spare time (big laugh).
The meeting was great, the membership was varied in their interests, and I felt comfortable and welcome right away. It gave me the itch to sit down tonight and post here as I try to regain focus.
For me, my many hats are a necessity. Each one has its own benefit, and often they complement each other. I am more excited about design when I've had a break to paint. Bookkeeping helps me to appreciate the fun parts of my job while making me more responsible with finances. Reading makes me want to write. Cooking encourages me want to reach out to friends and be more social. Making stuff and being crafty is a part of the way I teach my kids and revisit old family memories. Playtime with the kids forces me to be present in the moment and let the to-do list go for even a few minutes...although Cole's getting really good at folding towels.
Which leads me to combining hats...
I like the hat metaphor because I do feel a tangible shift when I move from one activity to another, but sometimes it makes me feel like my life is compartmentalized and less whole. Maybe I just have too many small hats and I need to choose a couple larger ones. What if instead of being a graphic designer and a pastel artist I could just be an artist? What if instead of a gardener and housekeeper, I was just a homeowner? How about instead of a self-employed graphic designer who does her own bookkeeping, I could be a business owner? Does it really matter? Well yes I think it does. It would mean recognizing the bigger picture and seeing some of what I do as natural extensions instead of yet another separate enterprise.
Multi-tasking is a word I both love and loathe. Folding laundry while watching the kids is fine, but when I try to catch up on an industry podcast while doing the invoicing and answering e-mail and then the phone rings...my brain cries for mercy. I have many resolutions this year, but I think a good one would be to only wear one hat a time...even if it's a big one.
10.27.2008
artsy fartsy
I've finished 2 pastel drawings in the past year which is more art than I've done in about 10 years. It's progress. Painfully slow progress, but I'll take it!
To help me build momentum, I've signed up for classes with a Diane Velasco, a local artist who is accomplished in pastel and oil. We started last week with Diane completing a pastel painting and an oil painting of a still life during the course of the 3 hour class, including interruptions from her 2 young children. This is without a doubt the right environment for me to be inspired!
This week I'll have to get started which is a bit nerve-wracking and a whole lot of exciting at the same time.
Following up Friday's class, I spent Saturday at a color pencil workshop for the local arts foundation. A member of my Monday night arts group had volunteered to teach the class and while I started out going to show support, it was a good exercise for me too. However, I picked an overly detailed flower for my subject matter and three hours and a hand cramp later, it's only half-finished.
I'm determined to reorganize the downstairs playroom to carve out a corner for myself or at least limit the space to art stuff for all of us. A no Lego/train/babydoll zone with a big throw rug so we can throw ourselves into making stuff without trying to be tidy about it.
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