The Plot Bunny Farm

I post a lot about time, productivity, and balance. I’ve even opined before that it’s really more a question of juggling than of balance. Why do I talk about it so much? Because, like most people, I have multiple facets of my life, and I want to have time for everything. (Well, almost everything. For the most part, I don’t care about having time for housework.) That means writing, working, and family. Oh, and crafts, cooking, volunteering, and exercise. And…

You see the problem. ( Read the rest of this entry » )

Originally published at Erin M. Hartshorn. You can comment here or there.

Last week, I put together a system based on blocking off time for specific activities, from when everyone has left the house in the morning up until people arrive home. That’s roughly 7:30 to 5, although my son actually gets home about 3. Then I threw it out the window to devote all of my time to finishing up an overdue project (including time devoted to sleep, as you might have gathered from my post earlier this week). That’s actually pretty easy to deal with — get enough sleep, get up in the morning, and start following the prompts of iCal reminders to tell me what I’m supposed to work on in each time period.

Almost. ( Read the rest of this entry » )

Originally published at Erin M. Hartshorn. You can comment here or there.

Although I’m calling this “Looking at energy,” I’m actually talking about both energy and health here. Whatever you’re doing with your life, it’s easier if you’re well rested and well fed. We all know this. Our cars don’t run on empty; neither do we. Of course, I’m not going to stop there. ( Read the rest of this entry » )

Originally published at Erin M. Hartshorn. You can comment here or there.

When you try to do something, you may run across people who suggest you do “just a little bit each day.” Flylady is a big proponent of this method, saying “You can do anything for 15 minutes.” On the other end of the spectrum, you have research that talks about the 90-minute rhythm to our lives — in sleep and in work. Notice that what these have in common is that they’re actually shorter than expecting to sit down and write, program, play an instrument, or whatever all day long. They give us time to take breaks and time to shift gears.

Tobias Buckell posted last month about his work habits, which gave me some food for thought, and changed the way I approach my day a bit. I didn’t copy everything he does, but there’s a lot of good advice there. ( Read the rest of this entry » )

Originally published at Erin M. Hartshorn. You can comment here or there.

I poke at time management now and then. Try new systems. Look at sites on-line. Try to increase my productivity. Recently, I’ve realized I’ve gotten lazy — I’m too inclined to sit down and putter instead of looking at what’s on my to-do list and doing it. If realizing that one isn’t being productive were enough to make somebody become productive, it wouldn’t be a multi-million dollar industry. So I’m embarking on the journey again, trying to do more — and this time, I’m blogging about it, with reference to things I’ve read and what I’m planning to try. Feel free to chime in on the comments of these posts with your own ideas and problems! ( Read the rest of this entry » )

Originally published at Erin M. Hartshorn. You can comment here or there.

I have workaholic tendencies. When I have a job to do and a deadline, I’m perfectly willing to work through the weekends to make sure I beat the deadline. I want to be doing something.

(This is also evidenced by the fact that when watching a movie on DVD or watching my husband or son play on the XBox, I want my hands to be busy doing something — knitting, crocheting, mending, something. That’s not as antisocial, however, as ignoring my family and staring at the computer or a stack of proofs or galleys all weekend long.)

However, I know I actually work better and am in a better mood if I’m not trying to work all the time. So when my friend Nicki arranged a get-together for local WriMos this weekend, I knew I should go, even though it always feels like work to go somewhere.

And I went. And I had a great time and laughed and talked and remembered that I enjoy spending time with people. Oh, and got a fun idea for a NaNo novel — NaNoWriMo fanfic.

Which means that this Monday, I’m grateful for friends, for time to relax, and especially for Nicki, who has done a wonderful job as Municipal Liaison.

What are you grateful for today?

Originally published at Erin M. Hartshorn. You can comment here or there.