In my job, because I am involved in the planning of products getting to customers, I have to look ahead into May and beyond for some of the orders I cut. Sometimes, it blows my mind that I am always looking 3 months ahead.
We keep a family calendar via Google and try to plan ahead as best we can for times when Jeff is out of town or if the kids have activities or my church and social commitments.
This morning, my boss sent out a memo asking all of us to turn in our vacation requests for the year. That way we can start to determine coverage for the "big quested times."
This morning, as I was trying to gather possible need-off dates without the benefit of next year's school calendar actually being available- I realized I needed to get moving on determining where the kids will be spending their days this summer.
It's hard having the kids split up during the school year- Jeff drives Zach to other side of our little town, Teagan goes right up the road to her school. I miss when they were both across town together- even if they didn't spend the day together, they took comfort in being in the same general place. We took comfort in having 1 drive and 1 pick up.
It's not even the last week of February and I have to book out our entire summer. I have to sit down with the kids and talk about what week of which camp sounds interesting and fun. I have to take time off work to go check out the Y and become a member. I have to figure out the scheduling of 2 kids for the entire 10 weeks of summer and will eventually have to figure out what to do with them for the week at the end of summer before school begins (Grandma Camp, maybe?).
One great thing about "living in the now," is that there is a lot more flexibility and ability to respond to changes in needs or wants. Planning months into the future leaves too many possible unknowns that could come along and change things. Planning months into the future, always focusing on the future plan, leaves me less time to just enjoy what is going on right here, right now.
How about you? Do you focus on the now or get caught up in always looking ahead?
5 comments:
I start planning for summer child-care in January. I hate it. I make an Excel spreadsheet to track dates and costs. It goes out to the grandparents, who plan for usually two weeks of Camp Kill-a-Gramma-Pa. In spite of all my efforts to be organized and start early, it still stresses me out.
I'm currently looking ahead for the entire year. Because we are adopting internationally, and moving across the country and trying to work around a 90th birthday party in NJ, I feel like all I do is stare at my calendar! I can't image trying to plan camp in February. I don't work outside the house so at least I do have child care covered.
I prefer only a month in advance whenever possible!
Hubby has an odd schedule....24 hours on, 24 hours off.....for 10 days, then 6 days off...then it starts all over. He has to put in for his vacation time in November...for the full next year. It stinks. We don't have kids...and one reason is flexibility. We both need it. So planning vacations over a year in advance....very annoying.
I have no idea what tomorrow will bring let alone next week or God forbid next month or....shocker of all, NEXT YEAR??!!! Yeah, I'm a total right here and now kinda person.
There is. Camp Fair at the Fashion Mall this weekend. I think it is Saturday. Might be able to get some great ideas there...
Post a Comment