Being busy

My Mother worries that I bite off more than I can chew all the time.  I had a health crisis many years ago and she can't help but worry that I will relapse when I schedule too much.  Moving to Spokane gave me so many opportunities you see, and I want to take advantage of many things that I haven't had access too before.  I enrolled in Tai Chi, a business class, started working in a gallery that is teaching me how to cut and join frames, became the president of the local art school, was awarded a grant for a project,  started meeting with artists on Tuesdays and then there are the shows...  Many of these things need to be completed by the end of June.

Here we are at the middle of May and I find myself looking at 2 fun weeks packed with events and one full day home in the middle.  My husband was surprised that I was leaving and that I was only going to be home for a day before turning around again.  I need a calendar that he can look at but hopefully next year, it will be different.  All this packing is making my head spin and the trip I am leaving on first is a historical reenactment gathering so finding all of that stuff after the move has been very challenging.  Sigh*  I know when I walk out the door, each trip will be worth while but it is still a bit daunting.

When I enrolled in Tai chi, I didn't realize that I would be able to take the business course.  I had to apply for that, it wasn't an automatic thing.  There were several applications and I hoped I would be one of the accepted students.  When I applied for the grant in October, It seemed like such a long way off and that I would have a ton of time to get things done.  Full funding didn't come in until March and there was bookings and schedules to contend with.  At one point, my head started spinning and I needed to stop and assess.

The gallery job is amazing.  It is only one day a week and I am happy to do it.  It brings me joy and helps me pay for frames and glass.  If I need a week, the owner understands and gives me the time off.  So that is a flexibility that makes it workable.  Painting with Friends meets on Tuesdays and isn't required, just fun.  I was able to go last week because I decided that I needed to drop one of my things.  To my disappointment, the only thing that could go was Tai Chi.  I gave it up because I can enroll again and I will.  I really enjoyed it but I wasn't going to push that hard on something that was available for me in another semester.  I have my art studio at the art school, thus I am there all the time anyway and tend to do my business course homework there.  That makes being president and doing the class a fairly convenient prospect.  I have one last trip for my grant project and then I need to do some art from it and start scheduling my classes (which was one of the reasons for this grant project).  That is also connected to the school so, I think things will work out there,

The point is, I looked at the elephant in front of me and started at one end.  When I found a way to make it easier to deal with, I got flexible.  I had to.  The other thing that I have learned is, despite the amount of items on your plate; face each one in turn.  Be in that moment, concentrate on that one thing at that point of time.  I don't worry about the school when I am in the business class.  I don't think about the grant project when I'm at the reenactment, I concentrate on what I am looking at.  It makes everything else manageable.  Worrying about everything while doing one thing will make you less successful at all you want to do.  I'm leaving now, leaving you with this thought; sometimes you can't do everything.  Guess what, it is okay if you have to put one or two things down for a bit.  Many things will still be there when you get back to them.  Figure out what you can't get back to, decide if you absolutely have to do them and go from there.  While I say life is short, I also understand that there is still time.  That being said, I have to go pack.  See you soon!