Executive Functioning
So a few blog posts ago, I mentioned being incredibly busy in basically all areas of my life. I’ve been steadily working on projects for current markets, prepping for fall shows, and trying to navigate the ins and outs of doing the “correct” things when it comes to running a business.
My family is also in the process of selling two properties and closing on a new house. Real estate transactions are a lot of paperwork and deadlines so I’ve had to flex muscles I haven’t had to use in a long time. My executive functioning, emphasis on ‘executive’, is severely lacking.
A lifetime ago, I was a queen when it came to workflows and excel spreadsheets. Setting appointments and meeting reminders were something I handled day in and day out. Nowadays, I’m lucky if I’ve checked my email and texts before leaving the house to work at the studio. I literally used to get paid to be organized on behalf of several corporations. Prior to my corporate office job, I was the go to person at a small business for just about every little detail. My day to day tasks involved everything from acquiring and negotiating contracts, event planning, refining business presentations, reminding the CEO and CFO of the company to take a lunch break, and even some light internet stalking for benevolent reasons.
I had to be on top of everything and hyper organized while at it. This is in stark contrast to my current day to day. These days my schedule is either dictated by two children or self-propelled. On any given day, I could plan to do household management tasks, studio work, admin, etc. and have the entire day derailed because my little one has a slightly elevated temperature (which is what happened right before my last market).
Flexibility is key. It’s a difficult balance with the uncertainty and be adaptable to a work/life balance that can swing so wildly, all while needing to be on top of documentation and legal proceedings. I’ve been managing well but I fear once I have finished with markets for the season that my brain will shut down. I can’t have that.
Like some sharks, I have no choice but to keep moving and going forward. We have 3 different properties changing hands within the next month - two months and with that comes the upheaval of moving my family an hour away from all of our existing networks of providers. The logistical side of me wants to create thorough spreadsheets and Trello boards to mark each step of the process for each member of my family but the chaotic busy mom/artist simply cannot be bothered to put forth any extra energy that isn’t already being spent elsewhere.
All this to say, if you happen to see me at an event or working in the next month and I don’t have a coffee in hand, help a sister out because she needs to be highly caffeinated to get through things.
(Image Credit: Morgan Galactic)
