Time Saving Tips

It seems that I don't have a lot of spare time these days. Between school, work, kids, family, dancing and friends (sorry, friends! ... it seems like it's been forever since we sat down and had a good chat), my days are very full (and fulfilling).

I started thinking about the ways that I've been saving time since the onslaught of this 'new life'. This is what I came up with:

• I've cut back on worrying. It is a waste of time and energy. No matter how much I worry about something, it doesn't make a difference. The only way I can make a difference is by 'doing'. A much better investment of my time.
• I noticed that I rarely get angry any more. In my daycare world, it seemed there were many frustrations. I got tired of saying the same thing time after time and (seemingly) not making a difference. I used to tell the kids "The third time I say the same thing, I start to get mad!" (this was said in my angry voice). There were many other frustrations (parent's ever-changing schedules and the lack of letting me know about it). I used to waste too much energy on anger. Not any more. Sure, there are frustrations that arise from time to time. But nothing like the old days. I'd much rather go with the flow of things. It's better for my blood pressure anyway.
• Stress. What is that? I still expose myself to a regular dose of just enough stress to be productive (if I don't have lists and deadlines, I don't move). It's not that fist-in-the-chest-stress. It is a game. "How much can I do before I run out of time?" is the mantra that runs through my head when I need to accomplish something. It's not stressful though. It's almost fun.
• Housecleaning. Our house is fast becoming a steel-toe-shoes-zone. I tried to retrieve something from our upright freezer a while ago. I did a little jig, as I danced around the frozen chicken that was falling out onto the floor beside my unprotected toes. I pulled the (rarely used) ironing board out of the closet yesterday morning and dumped the bag of miscellaneous wrapping paper and accessories, toilet paper and just avoided dumping cans of tomato soup on my toes (and what are all of these varying items doing in the same closet anyway?). Last week, I thought I should add some bay leaves to some homemade soup that I made. But I gave up - I couldn't find them in the cupboard. I believe that we are entering the third year since I've done a top to bottom housecleaning. Look at all the time I've saved there!
• Budgeting. I used to sit down on a regular basis and try to figure out how I was going to pay the bills and juggle the numbers to make them work the way I wanted them to. It was an impossible task (see point #2 - ever changing daycare schedules/income). I fretted and stewed over it (see point #1 - wasted energy). It never failed. Things found a way of working out in the end. Now? I add up what I need to pay ... and pay it. I have some varying income, but the income that I need to pay my bills is stable enough that I have decided to just relax. I still have long term goals and plans. I have a general idea how I want my financial situation to go. But I'm not belaboring it. I'm more fun to be around when I'm not counting pennies.
• Worrying about my weight. The more I think and obsess about it, the more I eat. If I cut back and sacrifice life's tasty pleasures, my weight doesn't decrease proportionately. If I obsess about exercise, I start stressing out more. My weight seems to have hit a plateau. I call it my 'insurance factor'. I have enough extra weight on my bones so that I can afford to get sick. And ... even though I'm not impressed with my 'rear view', I would think that extra padding should insure me against breaking a hip if I fell.
• I've adapted a new attitude. "C'est la vie" (and that was before I went to Montreal!); "It's not a biggie"; "Don't sweat the small stuff"; "What will be will be" (otherwise known as "Que sera, sera" for the French side of me). These are the mantras that coast through my mind these days. Besides working on a second language, these are good words to live by.

I've decided that this is a much saner way to live my life. I'm happier. I'm easier to live with (isn't that right, Second Son??). I'm healthier.
Just the other day, My Oldest was complimenting (??) me on my quality of being able to find the bright side to anything that happens. He started to utter the words that ''Even if the house was to burn down ..." What came immediately to my mind when he put that scenario before me? "At least I wouldn't have to clean it."