I’m starting this thread to encourage me to get various ‘things’ done that I keep putting off or forgetting about. Over the past few years, I’ve been struggling to do more than the basics of work, childcare, and day to day housework, and it’s getting me down.
The TL;DR summary: The main issues are available time (work & childcare takes up most of it), and my energy levels due to a chronic disease. DH and I share the day to day things equally, but he also struggles with longer term ‘stuff’. I really want this to improve in 2023.
I’m not asking for advice on being more organised/ efficient (I already do most of the usual suggestions), but I’m planning to post tasks for each month and update here when I’ve done them. Anyone else is welcome to join in!
The details: There are a few reasons why I struggle:
Time: I work part-time (30 hours) over five days, so I don’t have a day at home to get on top of things. Weekends are usually my only time to Get Things Done beyond the basics.
Energy: I have a chronic disease (arthritis), which also effects my energy levels. This has got worse in the past five years. I need frequent breaks/ rests, and need to pace myself if I’m doing anything physical, like cleaning. I also have less energy in the evenings than I used to.
No family nearby - my parents are both dead, and PIL are 200 miles away and both have health issues. We use childcare and both have flexible jobs with short commutes and some WFH, but don’t have anyone nearby to help out with ad hoc childcare. For example, doing school pickup if I have a late meeting.
No family nearby also means that any visits will take up a weekend, putting us behind on the usual stuff. There was an AIBU thread a few months ago (about people who were too busy to make plans at short notice), and it struck me that some posters didn’t seem to grasp that seeing family/ friends could take up a whole day or weekend due to distance.
One DD, who is 7. Obviously having a child takes up time, but I feel she needs more input from us (playing games etc) due to being an only child. She also seems less independent than I would expect (eg: One of us has to be in the room when she’s getting dressed otherwise she gets distracted or just stops). Not sure if this is us babying her, immaturity due to the effects of lockdown, or normal for a 7 year old. I have some concerns about possible neuro-diversity (ASD) but nothing is confirmed yet.
A very small house (two-up, two-down terrace) meaning less storage space and less space to do ‘stuff’ without being in someone else’s way.
I also struggle with hoarding and am posting on the long-running decluttering threads as well.
I spend too much time on my phone (as you may guess by the length of this post!).
I’m going to write the things I want to get done in January in my next post, and plan to update monthly at least! Will my good intentions last all year?