J is for Juggling

Something I’m constantly learning and relearning is that I cannot do all of my hobbies every day.

I’m not someone who wants to maximize every second of my day and be super productive. We talked about that yesterday: I struggle with inertia and need to set up my day in a way that works for my neurospicy brain.

But let’s take a look at my array of hobbies:

• Reading
• Blogging (writing blog posts, reading blogs, leaving comments on blogs, responding to comments on my own blog)
• Podcast (creating episode outlines, setting aside a few hours every month for recording, and running our Instagram account)
• Novel writing
• Investing in my relationships
• Exercise/movement (these days, it’s only a 30-minute walk, but it’s something I have to work into my schedule every day)
• Online admin (reading my array of email subscriptions, managing my personal email, etc)
• Watching TV/coloring (a very passive hobby, but one that resets my brain)

On top of my hobbies, chores need to be done, and an apartment needs to be constantly tidied even though I’m the only one who lives here. I have a set of weekly and monthly tasks that I need to do. And then there are just the one-off tasks that pop up every week: making doctor’s appointments, following up on emails, scheduling Target orders because suddenly I’m out of all my household supplies all at once.

And, oh yeah, I also have a full-time job that has to take priority Monday- Friday.

I know this is very much a first-world problem, and I know other women have a lot more on their plates with work travel and young kids and more commitments. (So basically, I don’t know how anyone with kids gets anything done. Where do you find the time???)

What I know is that I am constantly juggling my hobbies and other priorities, and something always has to fall short. Last week, it was reading; I stayed on top of NaBloPoMo blogging and commenting, but I probably read 50 pages of my book all week. This week, I’m trying to bring reading back (because goddammit, I need to finish The Calamity Club so I can move on to something else!), but that means I am way behind with blog commenting. (I’m sorry for all of my delayed comments.)

I’ve been using ChatGPT to help me plan my days, taking into account my struggles with inertia and my low energy reserves, and it has helped me understand that I have to pick and choose my hobbies every day. For example, while my goal was to finish my novel by the end of this year, that’s not going to happen because I only work on it once a week during my Saturday morning writing date (and these days, writing blog posts is taking priority, much to my writing partner’s chagrin). I could tell myself I need to write 500 words every day, but that means something else has to fall off my priority list, and right now, I’m not willing to read less, blog less, or comment less.

The thing is, I would rather have too many hobbies than too few. I never want to be bored with my life, and I can honestly say I am seldom bored. There’s always something I could be doing! If anything, sometimes I have to tell myself it’s okay if I keep my laptop closed one night and use my free time to watch TV and color, rather than being productive.

At the end of the day, I’m glad I am constantly juggling all of my hobbies and trying to figure out how to fit it all in. What a wonderful “problem” to have!