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Time management for parents
MIkael Lindberg | Oct 10 2007
The excellent news that Merlin is joining the parent flock prompted me to write this post. I became a parent about a year ago and I've been battling the "loss" of about 8-16 hours of every day to parenting and the unpredictability element that babies bring to your schedule. I'm interested in hearing what other parents have done in order to keep a grip on their schedule and their lives. For me, the most extreme effect was that I decided to change jobs in order to do something I really like, despite having to take a 50% pay cut. I just can't afford to waste hours doing things that doesn't make me happy. I've also taken a few hints from Merlin and now carry a small note pad (sort of a hipster PDA) in my pocket at all times for capture purposes. I think my previous attempts at GTD has failed just because I havn't needed it enough. Now, I can't survive without it. As for handling the unpredictability element of children, my wife and I have a system where we try to never replan the current day schedule but instead handle exceptions as far into the future as possible. This keeps our schedules reasonably stable. What are your experiences? 58 Comments
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 The challenges... and iStopMotionSubmitted by iJames on October 15, 2007 - 1:50pm.
12 year old boy. 2 month old girl. Baby... the sequel! Being a parent and striving to follow a similar path as Bruce has described has been awesome. My greatest accomplishment is... me after having to step up to the immense challenges my children pose. There's all the logistical challenges of course but more are the internal challenges that kids pose to you. Who are you? Who will you be tomorrow? Will you acknowledge your mistakes? Will you keep your promises? Every word, every action, every positive, every negative... They're watching and learning. All the demons of our past can reach right out and grab our kids (just like the Bruce Lee biographic movie "The Dragon"). Or, we can take a stand, take the advice, read all the books on self esteem, development, health, and communication. We can strive for authenticity and integrity. Just like the vows of a marriage, your kids too deserve the best you can be. Me and my son have made promises over the years that we strive to keep. They are overt, they are simple and they force me to do things I wouldn't necessarily face for anybody else. He has made me a better person. And now it begins with my wife and my daughter. I look forward to the challenges she will present. It is in the whole of her existence, not just the "good times" that remind me what it is to be a parent and the honor of getting to be her father, of calming her when she's crying, of enjoying the highs, and being even better when it's bad. We are an example of how to look at things, how to be, how to get out of life what you want, how to be you. Our children are our most powerful mirror. And yes, capture! Capture away. But there are high tech ways of making flipbooks now! You can morph those 1 month snapshots. Or try iStopMotion (Mac). It came at a great time for me. We captured my wife's belly growing, and well, why stop there? Though I gotta say, it's been beyond difficult to keep up the daily shots with baby! But like somebody said... pick your battles. Congrats Merlin! » POSTED IN:
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