Still Seeking the Balance

But I am getting closer…progress not perfection!

I am trying to keep in mind that it has taken me quite awhile to get to the point I am now and that it will take more than a day to get back into balance!

I have made some progress. I have gone no mail on several email lists and am considering a few more. I have also identified several email lists that no matter how good the topic I am only going to read. These lists, I have decided, can continue perfectly fine without me jumping in. <snort> And the interesting thing is that since I have started doing this, I have realized that usually my point gets made by someone! I want to be able to focus my postings on my statewide and local homeschool lists (VaEclecticHS and NoVaUnschoolers) as well as Homeschooling Creatively. These are the ones that I most enjoy posting to and feel that I have the most to contribute to, so it makes sense to focus on those.

I have un-subbed from some blogs (sorry!) and am really trying to limit my reading time. This is the hard part too as there are so many wonderful blogs and great conversations going on, I just want to jump in on every one. So I am thinking about this as more of a "break" rather than an end. So if you see me commenting on a post that is weeks or months old you will know that I am catching up!

I have been working on re-focusing my work with VaHomeschoolers as well. The problem that we have is that there are so many exciting things that we want to accomplish it can get frustrating not to be able to do all of them now. The good thing is that we have been putting out calls for volunteers and getting them! We now have a new editor for the Out and About (VaHomeschoolers monthly activity and events email publication). This was a hat that I used to wear and am more than happy to pass it on. (Thanks Jennie!) So I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel there. And it has been very reassuring to find that as we do more and more outreach more and more people are stepping in to help. It really is the only way that we can survive.

Another interesting thing that I have noticed this week is that just shifting and realizing that I don't have to do everything right now has put some space back into my life. I would get an email and think I had to respond immediately or read a post and want to write back right then. I am giving myself permission to wait a little bit. And I am finding that the world has not come to a crashing halt (imagine that!) Being online as much as I am can add an immediacy to life that can be daunting to keep up with.

One little change that has made a big impact is that I no longer get online as soon as I wake up. I used to not even get out of bed before grabbing my laptop! How crazy is that? I have changed my routine now so that I get up, walk and feed Ellie, make sure the boys are awake, take my shower, read a daily reading, meditate (or at least sit quietly) for 10 minutes (hoping to extend that but for now it works), finish getting ready and then go out into the family room to get online. This has helped immensely, although I have been surprised at how tempting it is to jump online to check the latest and see if there are more fires that need to be put out. Yes, I know, crazy.

In this same vein, I have also been working on changing my default mindset…I found that often when I had "free time" I would gravitate to the computer. I am now consciously choosing to do things around the house or with the boys.

It is a work in process, but at least I am trying!

And as coincidence would have it, Jeff and I are leaving on Friday for a 4 day cruise to the Bahamas with Jeff's company. And I will not <gasp> have internet access! Which I think will be a good thing. It will force me to make a break and hopefully when I come back I will be able to be more balanced at what I start doing again. I am not really a cruise-type person, but I am looking forward to relaxing and getting away for a few days (my in-laws are coming up to stay with the boys). I hope to have time to focus some on my photography which is something that I have not had enough time to do lately. I have a few new photography books that I am bringing with me to read poolside and obviously will be bringing my camera with me.

So I will be offline for a little bit. But I will be back! So please keep checking back. Believe it or not, even though I want to get my online time back into balance, one of the things that I want to find more time for is blogging. I find that writing this blog is a wonderful creative outlet and I have so many things that I want to talk about. So one of my priorities is to find more time to write.

So here is to balance! May we all find what works for each of us…