Past, Present, and Future Jen

My previous adventures in time management can be summarized thusly:

Present Jen is the Future Jen of Past Jen’s present, and Present Jen is pretty pissed off at Past Jen’s decisions not taking into account Future Jen’s present desires.

Clear as mud? Yeah, for me too. I’d draw a flowchart, but Present Jen doesn’t want to piss off Future Jen by taking the time to do so, and Past Jen is backing out of the room slowly and carefully, praying no one takes notice and blames it all on her. It’s a laugh riot of personalities around here today.

After reading all the wonderful comments about time management the other day, I’ve had to confront the fact that it’s not entirely about managing my time, it’s about managing me. I’m going to be constantly interrupted for at least the next ten years, so I’d better just suck it up buttercup and find a way to work around that. The problem has been is that once things are quiet and calm, I don’t want to do a damned thing. I want to sit and revel in the quiet calmness, and there is the dilemma. The plans I have for my life do not get accomplished when I’m sitting and hungrily swallowing silence and calm, and then later I look back and mentally kick myself in the head for not taking advantage of that time of peace and quiet.

This is why I’m at the library this afternoon writing instead of at home. Even with Tom taking the boys to the sledding hill this afternoon, there are too many distractions at home. Here I have the peace and quiet, and trust me, I’m not distracted by the shelves of music history books in front of me. Rather, they’re incentive to keep working: “Jen! You’d better get your list accomplished while you’re here or we’re going to haunt your dreams tonight!” That’s the set of The New Grove Dictionary of Opera talking. It’s mean.

So here’s how I’m going to attempt Me Management this week: act in the present as if my future self was staring at me over its bifocals and thinking, “WTF Jen? Really?”

Future Jen does not want to sweat like a feral pig this summer when it’s 90 degrees with 90 percent humidity, so Present Jen is going to avoid consuming anything that would prevent weight loss.
Future Jen does not want to be an old cantankerous woman, so Present Jen is going to continue being grateful for all she has, and add in some yoga so she can move without sounding like a bowl of Rice Krispies. Maybe return to some weight lifting.
Future Jen wants to take this blog to the next level, so Present Jen is going to MAKE THE TIME to participate in the 31 Days to Build A Better Blog challenge. Past Jen did the challenge once, and Present Jen is seriously pissed Past Jen didn’t take it seriously enough or make time for it.
Future Jen does not want her sons to think she is permanently attached to her computer, so Present Jen is going to get off the machine and read a book. Not necessarily with them, but near them.
Future Jen needs a vacation, a renovated house, a retirement account, and peace of mind, so Present Jen is going to somehow find employment that flexes around homeschooling because if PastPresentFuture Jen doesn’t get a vacation soon it’s gonna get ugly. Driving cross country in a gypsy caravan with a flatulent canine is not a vacation.
And finally, Future Jen wants Present Jen to remember that beating oneself up over what Past Jen did is defeating, and to just keep going.

Again, clear as mud?

PastPresentFuture Jen will learn to work in harmony if it kills me them us.