Sunday 2 May 2010

What I need is a Lifestyle Guru

How does anyone manage to work from home and stay motivated with no boss looking over their shoulder? I can do it for a short time but it only takes one week of distractions for the routine to fall apart. Friends and family tell me I’m being too hard on myself. They say that I can expect to fall behind a little especially as I have a husband who’s recovering from his latest whack of chemotherapy, a brand new grandson, a housebound mother and Josh-the-dog (who at the moment has a bucket on his head because of a fox bite that just won’t heal!). Nevertheless I decided to sign up to a couple of online self-help workshops.

And

For the Creativity Workshop I’ve been asked to list out my issues and post them on this blog. [You see, I always do as I’m told, Merrilee!] But while I was listing them out I decided that they’re not just relevant to my writing. They’re relevant to my life and I’m curious to know if that’s the same for both writers and non-writers, and especially those who are trying to work from home. So here are my issues:

  • Seeing projects through to the end: I have files bulging with half-finished stories, a bag that’s over-flowing with half-finished knitting, a dress that’s needed the bottom turning up since 1999 and still has the price tag attached... I could go on but I’m sure you’ve got the drift.

  • Not flitting from one task to another: This is closely related to the above issue. Since starting to write this post I’ve bathed the dog’s wound, tried to clean a pen mark off my beige leather bag (I love that bag - any suggestions anyone?), written my Day 2 Picture Book Story for Paula’s NaPiBoWriWee, loaded and run the dishwasher, washed the sheets and consumed coffee with a large piece of treacle tart.

  • Not being distracted by the family and home: In other words, I need to discover how to successfully work from home and be a caring wife, daughter, mother and dog owner. Tough huh!

If anyone can give me solutions to the above issues I have to say I’ll be amazed, grateful but amazed!