A challenge to find time....

[Ali Lee]

With all the "challenges" in everyday life, I'm wondering where/when/how do you find time in the day to do your sewing, exercising, hobby, etc?? I love to sew, want to sew, need to sew, BUT, working all day in the kitchen it seems like, wash, sweep, etc, my day is gone... time to start supper and I still haven't touched my sewing machine. So, my ? is.. do you let something else slide..to get something else done? BTW--I'm eating lunch @ the '''puter....

[krbshappy71]

I accomplish more with less time. I'm doing more in my two hours between two jobs than I ever did in an entire evening off.

Watch the computer, it is a total time-sucker. Limit email subscriptions you may have that you don't even really look at, they waste time even just deleting them.

Watch tv time, although it may seem like you house-clean while the tv is on, you might accomplish more by telling yourself, "I will do this, this and this BEFORE tv time" and then sit down and allow yourself a show.

These are just tips that work for me. I have to be in a time crunch or nothing gets done.

[Darlene]

I usually have one day a week when I have a mega bunch of energy and that's my "I'm going all out and really cleaning" day, in between I pick up here and there to keep on top of it. My kids are grown and flown & with 2 of us it doesn't get as messy as fast. Little bit here and there and things are "clean enough". We take turns cooking so it gives us each some time to be creative in the kitchen and do other things. I also try to get any work done early so it's not hanging over my head, often times jumping right into it while still wearing my pj's & grabbing a cup of coffee.

[Ramona]

I find it's easy to do sewing projects in bits and pieces. I just finished a simple jumper: day one - cut pattern from material. Day two - stitch, Day three - stitch, Day four - stitch and finish. It's a simple pattern but breaking it down into segments means that nothing else was neglected.

[Spirit Deer]

OAMC meals in the freezer have freed up an enormous amount of time for me. Now I can work on a project up till a few minutes before it's time to eat and still put good food on the table.

I also love to stick something in the Crock-Pot early in the morning, so I don't have to stop working on something late in the afternoon. Supper just takes care of itself in the Crock.

The new rule in my house this week is no recreational computer use during the day. I've gotten a TON of stuff done because of that, so I'm going to work really hard to make it a new habit to only check forums and surf in the evening. Not being on the computer during the day also helps me be more active which is critical for me.

[nuisance26]

~Work through lunch if that's the only free time you have. I've munched while sewing lots of times! Even 10 minutes a few times a week will make a nice dent in your projects.~

[SuzieEntrata]

We have the same dilemma

[daylily]

I don't sew but can certainly relate to not having time for hobbies, etc. I'm afraid I don't have any answers though!

Due to tendonitis in various places over the past several years, all my flower beds had not been weeded in at least three years. Many of my flowers had died out and the ones that survived were choking. Last fall, I decided to weed 15 minutes every day if possible. This spring, I cranked it up to remove one wheelbarrow of weeds at least three times a week and mulch whatever I had weeded. I am slowly but surely making progress. DH helped me for several hours one day on a bed that had a lot of poison ivy in it.

But my point is....15 minutes a day made a significant difference after several months. The beds actually look like flower beds now instead of jungles!! There is much more to do but I am encouraged to keep at it.

I read about a doctor who renovated an old house in 15 minutes a day. He lived close to the house and said that sometimes he only had time to lay out the materials and tools in the alloted 15 minutes. This inspired me to try it on my flower beds and it does work.