Goldilocks Knew it All Along

Time is an elusive thing.

When you have too much time on your hands, you don't appreciate it and it goes to waste.

When you have too little time and too much to do, you can move mountains ... but in most cases it causes a great amount of stress because you are trying to juggle too much at the expense of your health and peace of mind.

Then there is the 'Goldilocks Time Zone'. The place where you have just the right amount of time at your disposal. That place where you have just enough to do, that you feel a happy/healthy amount of pressure.

I need to feel a small amount of angst and stress to force me to work at my optimal pace. It's a tricky balance though, because you can waver in that place of too much or too little and things don't work out just quite right.

Life has been idyllic for me for the past long while. Once I adapted and knew what to expect from my school life, I worked around it and made it work for me. Life was good. It was very, very good. My goal was to incorporate that balance into my next work-from-home goal.

It seemed that I was to succeed with that goal. I am officially working at my 'perfect' job. Working out of my home, setting my own hours and pace and I have the flexibility to work my job around my life. Perfection. Right?

I hope so.

This past week has been a transitional one. A week where I wasn't officially available for full-time work. A week where I was available to do the beginning-of-the-month-work that I've come to know and expect. It was also a week where I had the flexibility to do extra work. But when the work didn't come when I hoped and expected it would ... I did nothing.

I sat in limbo. I waited. I wasted time because I didn't want to get started on another project only to be interrupted by work. I wasn't in the GTZ (Goldilocks Time Zone).

Doing nothing is most uninspiring.

I opened a book but I couldn't concentrate to read it. I turned on a movie that I had little interest in watching and fell asleep. Exhaustion ruled the day. The couch called my name and I answered. I filled myself up on junk food. When they say 'you are what you eat', they are right. I felt like crap (excuse my harsh language).

I did utilize my idle time to ensure that I booked up enough of my free time so that I won't continue waste my days ... next week. I have made plans with friends. I have initiated a 'question of the week' to promote some family input into my dad's family history project. I have propelled myself back into a must-do-something mode.

I am feeling a small amount of angst within as I waver between the perfect time zone that I created when I balanced school/work/kids/family/and friends into my life. This new zone is uncharted territory. I have a vision of what I aspire my 'new life' to be. I'm determined to find my new GTZ.

I'm certain that finding that perfect time/stress zone is the key to contentment. No one should be overworked, overtired and stressed out all of the time. On the flip side, there is little reward or satisfaction to not having enough to do ... enough to push you to a place where you feel "Ahhh ... that was a good day!" ... enough so that you sleep well at night.

As our lives change and evolve, I think it's good to keep searching for that perfect balance. A balance of work/play/family/friends/and time to rejuvenate yourself. The ratios are ever changing. But when you find a mix that feels just right, settle yourself in and enjoy it. Find your inner 'Goldilocks'!