So, in my quest to be the Juggler, I must admit that I have been intentionally deceptive. I traveled many paths in my quest to get it all done and some of it is quite clearly a ruse. I have taken conference calls while shopping online for that birthday present I forgot about. In fact, I have taken conference calls from a wide variety of locations, most not my office, in an attempt be home when I need to, while still getting my work done. My favorite location is the front seat of the mini-van while it’s parked in the driveway of my own house, since doing calls from inside would mean having 2 toddlers wanting to sit on my lap instead of staying with the nanny. It usually involves some fuzzy slippers and a cup of tea, and my much-beloved bluetooth headset. I have gotten my hair cut when I should be at work only to complete my work at 4AM, when it’s of course impossible to get a haircut. I’ve ordered Christmas cards and begun shopping for the holidays in the summer, because I know I won’t get it done otherwise. I’ve declined meetings to have breakfast with my daughters, and sat with them on my lap watching DVD’s on the computer while checking work email. I’ve delegated, re-prioritized and de-prioritized. Some of this is good management of situations and some is quite clearly just in the service of staying on top of all of it.
And staying on top of it all sometimes very clearly puts the wrong things at the top of my list. I’m not sure where my husband has landed on the list, but it’s sure not the top. The poor man has lost out to writing thank-you cards, cleaning and sleep to name but a few items. The laws of juggling are clearly flawed in that respect, as priority is often placed on the more immediate need rather than the more important need. That’s where the math really breaks down. But, in the words of Rick James, control is a helluva drug. Oh, that was cocaine he was talking about? I didn’t notice. Many juggle reluctantly and I admit there are days when I would prefer not to, but if I didn’t try to control as much of it as I could, what would success be? And where would happiness come from?
Join me as I try to figure it out.
