Lightening My Load

I have always lived by one simple guideline: a full to-do list means I am productive and busy. Retired describes my employment status, not how busy I may or may not be. I see a new project, creative endeavor, or something to stimulate my mind, and it's added to my schedule.

Until now.

On a recent morning,  I was awakened by a radical thought, at least for me. Maybe I was approaching my time management inefficiently. Maybe my to-do list approach produced poor results. Maybe it was time to change my approach. Maybe I needed to lighten my load and change my focus from quantity to quality.

My days are filled with the basic chores we all have to tend to. The taxes have been filed with the IRS; the quarterly taxes are due next week. The water softener needs a recharge. The "new car" is 12 months old already: time for an oil change. The yard and plants need tending to. All the normal stuff.

I write a new blog post every few days and answer comments as they pop up. Work on a new book proceeds at a glacial pace. Keeping the links and information fresh in the blog resource sections takes time.

To that, I have added playing the guitar, learning to paint, mastering enough French to get by for our upcoming trip, and teaching myself touch-typing (again). I have four different books in various stages of completion; my year-long project to read 52 books that have found their way onto banned lists for various reasons continues.

My point isn't to impress you with my workload; yours is probably every bit as busy. The "ah ha" moment was realizing  I am doing all these things, none of them terribly well.

Spending 15-20 minutes playing the guitar every three or four days produce nothing but frustration. Between practice sessions, my fingers lose muscle memory; I make the same mistakes again and again. Maybe by the quarter-hour mark, I can make it through a song or two with something reasonably close to the notes as written. 

I may not sit down with some paintbrushes for the better part of a week  Then, just like the guitar, I make some of the same mistakes over and over. Instead of practicing and learning about color theory or perspective, I simply attempt to paint a scene I have tackled before. What ends up on the canvas board is certainly much better than it was a year or two ago. But, I am painting the same stuff instead of learning new techniques and skills. 

Touch-typing? Seven or eight minutes every three days isn't nearly enough to break a lifetime's habit of typing with two fingers. French? The phrases I learned in high school will have to do.

It became very clear that I was spreading myself way too thin, not giving myself the opportunity to progress in any one area enough to feel a sense of accomplishment.  A Jack of all trades but a master of none. I needed to prune back some of the activities that were more like struggling blooms on a plant than a healthy, enjoyable bush.

To that end, gone for now is the guitar, learning French, and online touch typing lessons. While I enjoy making music, until I can dedicate a solid block of practice time several days a week, I am doing more harm than good to that enjoyment. Likewise, with the French and typing. If I can say a few phrases in French, the trip will go well. I have typed one way for more years than I care to count; that has worked OK and will continue to do. Spell checkers save my life.

Blogging is satisfying primarily because of the reaction and interaction with readers. It is work, but something I continue to enjoy. June will mark thirteen years of Satisfying Retirement, and all with just two fingers!

I read for pleasure and learning. There isn't a day that goes by without me spending time with a book or two, or three. Any adjustment will not cut into my time with books.

Painting will require much more of a commitment than I have given if I really want to progress (and I do). Even with some improvement,  churning out the same subject matter will not keep me engaged. 

Betty makes it clear that I have skipped over almost all of the foundational work that is necessary to show progress in the end product. At least every other day will require some combination of practice, learning, and painting just for fun.

Busy has been my default choice. Quantity over quality has been my guiding light.  I'd say it is past time for a change. Let's give the reverse a chance.