When I was working in an office, I had days when I felt overwhelmed. The pile of work needing done seemed too much for me to handle. That was especially true after taking a week’s vacation.
I learned to solely focus on the most pressing job first and finish it. Then, I tackled the next most urgent job. The stack got smaller by the end of the day, and I felt good about my accomplishments.
I also had plenty of days at my office job when I didn’t have enough to do. I did my best to look busy by cleaning my desk and reorganizing files. Basically, I was trying to look busier than I was for the boss. I didn’t want him to think I was loafing and getting paid for it.
During my working years, I had several bosses. None of them ever asked me if I didn’t have enough work to do.
When I got tired of pretending to be busier than I really was, I’d asked the boss if he had something else for me to do. He gladly gave me some extra tasks. That presented a problem for me. He started giving me too many projects. I think he adopted the attitude that I’d be willing to do everything he assigned me.
Throughout my working career, it always seemed like I had either too much work or not enough. It was hard to find the right balance.
The same is true of daily life. When I was first married and a stay-at-home housewife, I didn’t have enough to keep myself busy. A year later we had our first baby boy and that changed everything. Yes, I had plenty of cloth diapers to change, wash and fold. Plus, all the other care he needed.
It was only 18½ months later that we added a baby girl to our family. Then, I was an overwhelmed Mom and homemaker. It was hard to give each of them all the attention they needed. By the time Ben got home from work, I was exhausted.
It seemed like I had no time for myself. We all need to treat ourselves to some quality time occasionally.
Another baby boy joined our family almost six years later. The two older kids were in school by that time. I enjoyed having just one child to take care of during schooldays.
I began working outside the home when our youngest son was in kindergarten. Talk about busy! I had a hard time juggling the responsibilities of my job and everything I needed to accomplish at home.
Since Ben and I are retired, we have more time on our hands than we want. We no longer have bosses keeping tabs on what we are doing. It is up to us to fill our days. We have done more home projects and the results are worth the effort. Plus, our yard is always kept up.
It is hard to find the right balance in life. From past experiences, I know I am happiest when I don’t have too much or too little expected of me.
Susan Davis is a former Sterling resident and author of “Small Farm & Big Family”, “Ancestry’s Journey”, “Bushels of Nostalgia” and “Lovebirds for Life.”
