I’ve always been a bit of a procrastinator (OK, perhaps more than a bit) and tend to do best when in crunch mode. I’ve long preferred to intensely focus on a project for the days or weeks it takes to get it done, rather than dutifully chipping away at it for a longer period of time. And over the years, I have developed a pretty keen sense of how long it will actually take to complete a project, so this “crunch” approach has by and large worked for me.
Then kids entered my life. Gone were the days where I could hole up for those days or weeks to attack a project. On the positive side, having kids has forced me to develop even more sophisticated time management skills and figure out ways to wring every last productive drop out of each hour of my day. I seriously never thought I could be this efficient! And working in this way helps keep my life in balance, which is generally a very good thing.
But a real down-side for me — and an unexpected one — is that I no longer have the luxury of digging into a big project for long periods of time. Of course years ago, I never would have seen this as a luxury, but rather just the somewhat shameful consequence of my procrastination. These days, I find myself craving the opportunity to throw balance to the wind and get into the zone to crank out a project. But my kids make this practically impossible.
In my first post for Mamapedia, I write more about this challenge and offer some tips for self-employed parents dancing this same crazy dance. Check it out and please lay your comments on me!