What is your passion? do you have time and space for it?

[BraveNewLife]

I am a SAHM, naturally disorganized and messy, and I've been trying really hard over the past few months to declutter my home and establish some good household routines.

I notice that I put off the things that are important to me in order to do mundane tasks. Do you do this? For example, I want to get back to doing some freelance writing like I did pre-DCs, but rather than sit down and write during naptime I'll unload the dishwasher, tidy a shelf, start dinner...

The problem is, there's always housework to be done. Unless you carve out time for your passions, there's never going to come a point where you go, "Wow, the laundry is done forever! I can focus on my novel now!"

So... NO MORE. From now on, I am going to do housework/decluttering/organizing as efficiently as possible, with the sole goal of giving myself the time and space to write on a regular basis.

So far I have:
-created a household chore schedule for dh and me so that I can ignore things that "aren't my job"
-scheduled weekend time for bulk cooking so I never have to cook during the week
-insisted on an equal amount of child-free leisure time to dh and stuck to my guns (well, as much as possible with a breastfed small baby)
-set up a writing desk with my laptop and notebooks where nobody is allowed to leave stuff

Today I worked on a writing project that I started months ago, I finished the first draft, feeling great!

So... What is your passion and what are you doing to create time and space for it amid the chaos?

I am the queen of putting housework before hobbies. I also don't have much space for mine and I know it sounds stupid but just the thought of unpacking and packing up every time makes me even more reluctant!

I sit amongst the chaos and crochet most days!! I got to do it otherwise I'd go slowly crazy.

Totes - Yes packing and unpacking is a real motivation killer!
Billy - crocheting amid chaos sounds wonderful. I think sometimes I just need to get on with it and stop waiting for the perfect conditions.

Here's hoping the toddler naps today so I can get a bit of editing done in between chatting to the 3 month old.

when I had one small baby I used to do something nice every time she slept. so I snoozed or sewed mostly and it was lovely.

I think it is a good principle, or recently I've been thinking jobs in the morning fun for all in the afternoon. it seems to work well.

(although dd2 was born last week so life is about to get interesting here!!)