My Schedule

It has taken 20 months to work out a schedule that fits. Before my son was born, I worked all the time. I got up and worked. I had lunch. I worked more. My husband got home. We ate dinner and worked. Then we went to bed. The next day was the same routine.

Since my son has been here, it's been harder to get together a schedule. It seems that during the first year, every time he gets into one routine, it's time to move on to another one. It's very frustrating for me.

We now have a schedule that is working for us. I think he'll stay in one place developmentally long enough for it to become routine.

One of my promises to myself in 2006 was to get serious about my career. I set specific, measurable, and realistic - yet challenging - goals. Being serious depends in part on having a set schedule.

I am now logging my time. I work 40 hours a week. From the time I get up until my husband gets home from work, I try to fit in three hours of work time. That varies depending on my son's needs for the day. Plus we do errands and such on at least one day per week. Then I work for three hours in a little upstairs alcove office. I do that every weeknight. On the weekends, I work five hours on Saturday and five hours on Sunday.

This schedule is working really well so far. I've found that I actually have more energy because there's a clear delineation between work and play. I know when I've finished my work for the day, and I can turn off my computer and be done.