Time keeps on ticking …
Sometimes I feel like the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland – so much to do, so little time – and perhaps I am chasing my own tail. Granted, I have a number of projects on the go & it can get a little daunting.
The problem with me is that due to being a little impatient at times, I have had the tendancy to set tight timeframes to a task at hand & end up feeling very unsatisfied at the quality of my work when I have not allocated enough time to get it done in … so, I have decided not to set such tight constraints for myself. The psychology involved around this train-of-thought has been astounding! Once I took the pressure off myself, I was actually managing to complete my tasks to a high enough standard that keeps me & those around me happy.
In all fairness though, I have been swamped & I am hoping that the numerous tasks I have started will be complete soon before the next run of tasks are put in front of me. Particularly my ‘Under 10k Wedding Budgets’ … which are still in limbo awaiting some tweaked prices from some of my vendors. For those wonderful vendors that have submitted their costs, 3 claps for you, you are wonderful.
So what have I been doing with my time?
Let’s see:
- I run & own Blissful Bay Weddings from home – which entails a lot of networking with vendors in the wedding industry, setting up contacts, pricing & planning for wedding couples, regular social media networking etc; I’m sure those of you that have their own businesses will know what this entails. Current projects on the go: Under 10k Wedding Budgets; Wedding Proposal Blogs; Wedding Expo & Industry write-ups for vendors in the Bay of Plenty;
- I work 2-3 days per week for Environment Bay of Plenty;
- My hubby & I have a small cattle business on our property, granted, I do not do any of the physical stuff, I just take care of the paperwork, again, this too can be time-consuming, especially at tax time;
- We have 4 children: 16yrs, 12yrs, 10yrs & 21mths, all very active & enjoy sports – enough said (perhaps this should have gone on the top of the list as my largest task);
- I am the Secretary for the 2012 Jamieson Family Reunion & on the following Sub-committees for the reunion: ICT; Events; Finance & Registrations. This includes me setting up & maintaining our Website & FB Fan Page – check it out if you like : Jamieson Family Reunion ;
- I am the Treasurer of the Pyes Pa School Whanau Group & within this group I usually have a number of tasks allocated to me post Group meetings, every 6 weeks, over & above maintaining the groups Finances;
- Then there is of course our spiritual needs to consider – VIP;
- House Reno & Housework: our 140yr old villa that we relocated 2 years ago from Waiuku is Work In Progress. If I were to have one ‘superficial’ wish, it would be to win a Landscaper. Bar the vege garden & a couple of decorative gardens around the house, our house still looks like a ‘house in the middle of a paddock’. We have a new kitchen & bathroom installed; all new plumbing & wiring; the bedrooms carpeted & the remaining Kauri floors re-sanded & polyurethaned – so that is huge task complete. But the whole interior was also re-gibed and still needs to be plastered & painted – we have about 75% to complete, & will have to install the new light fittings after that. Not to mention the sash windows that still to be sanded & oiled & a couple of doors to replace & paint. We also need a new driveway, garage with sleep out/office (so I can relocate from my 2m x 4m office space). These things take time I know, but did I mention that I have a wee problem with patience …
- And, I come from a large extended family. It seems that I am the advocate for all things Events, which usually means I am often the one organising everything from family dinners/potlucks to Whanau Days, Sports Days & Family Reunions. My sister-in-law & my mother have a frequently used saying: “If you want something done, give it to a busy person … give it to Jacqui” …
It is no wonder that I have 3 diaries with comprehensive lists: A work diary; an at home task & business diary; and a spiritual & family diary. This might sound rather full-on, but it works for me. But, like a budget, it’s not going to work unless you stick to it.
But amongst all this busyness, we still need to take time for our family & friends individually; whether it is to take time out to visit & have a cup of tea with mum & mum-in-law; popping out for coffee or lunch with sisters, family & in-laws; a few drinks & nibbles out with the girlfriends; family days or movie nights; & of course, some strategically set aside time for ‘date nights’ with the hubby. These people are the ones we do ALL of the above for. If our schedule becomes so busy that it chokes out this all important time with our loved ones, what was the point?
I hope you have a little more insight on what I get up to. We require different ‘hats’ for different tasks, & the ‘hat’ I love wearing is my Wedding ‘veil’ so to speak – it is a passion & I have enjoyed the ride so far. So please be sure to continue following along my Blog – & I hope I can share with you some valuable if not, helpful information.
Jacqui
