Shhh!...I'm Counting!

I was going to title this post "The Art of Getting Stuff Done When You Are Constantly Being Interrupted," but that seemed a bit wordy.  But now you get the idea, right? 

I run my business from my home, which is wonderful for a lot of reasons, the main one being that I am always accessible to my kids while still being afforded the opportunity to pursue my own creative/professional interests.  Being their mom is, has been, and always will be my favorite and most important job.  I am super-fortunate and grateful to have the option of staying home with them, and over-the-top lucky to be able to have a successful small business that is fun and fulfilling.

That is my "before I say BUT" paragraph.  If you are put-off or offended by anything said in the rest of this post, reread that little blurb, stop, and love me for being such a great, appreciative, nurturing kind of gal.

But...oh, BUT...sometimes working from home--with your kids and husband and laundry and goldfish and grocery list and email and phone calls and baseball games and diaper pail all vying for your attention--can be a real challenge.  A challenge that pushes the limits of your patience and self-discipline and makes you want to use those nice pointy knitting needles to poke out your own eyes or whap somebody on the head.  Not me, but you know, it might do that to you :).

The biggest challenge I have run into lately is that of being interrupted while working.  Interruptions are nothing new to me; I have three kids and haven't had a hot cup of tea or coffee uninterrupted in seven years.  But there is something about being interrupted when you are in your "creative groove."  When I am designing, creating, or doing any of the tasks that nurture this little business that means so much to the individual me, I find it much more difficult to handle the interruptions with even a little grace.

My husband and kids are used to seeing me knit, and usually I can do it while talking, watching TV, reading a book, or whatever.  This has conditioned them, in a way, to think that talking to me about baseball/Legos/arithmetic/farts while I am knitting is okay, and usually it is (well, everything but the farts...I never really want to hear about farts).  But sometimes I have to focus a little more closely on what is going on in the pattern, and inevitably that is when everyone needs me.  My current way to deal with this situation is to  glare at the offender and hiss, "Shhh!...I'm counting!"  It doesn't seem like such a bad reaction here, but the look of "Whoa lady.  Put.down.the.gun." that they give me when I say it makes me think that it is a pretty ugly scene.  Effective, but ugly.

So, in hopes of reducing my stress levels and scaring my family less, I have been drafting some ideas for keeping interruptions to a minimum while knitting and yet still being available for the people I love. 

1.) Have "Complex Knitting" hours:  I have heard at-home workers talk about the importance of office hours, but honestly, I have to squeeze business and creativity in whenever I can.  However, I can see how it might benefit me to set aside a special time each week when Jim or a sitter can hang out with the kids and I can do the projects that require more of my attention.  No interruptions allowed.  Just knitting.

2.) Take a number:  This was actually a joke when I first thought of it, but now I kind of think it is genius.  I want to carry around a little Post-It pad that I have pre-numbered and whenever I set it out, it is a signal that I can't be interrupted and that you should take a number.  I will get to you shortly.  Can you imagine if this worked?!?!  I could get through check-out lanes and phone conversations with quiet ease!  Let me dream...

3.) Work from home out of the home:  In my house, I am a mom, a cook, a maid, a chauffeur, a secretary...but when I leave my house, most of those responsibilities stay at home.  Just for my own mental clarity (because if I am going to be honest, my own thoughts interrupt my creative process just as much as my husband and kids), it helps to remove myself from where all of my other to-dos are and focus on the task at hand.  This usually means knitting at Starbucks for me, which means that I get a hot cup of coffee AND I get to knit...heaven, I tell you.

As much as I am challenged, and if I am going to be honest, simply annoyed by all the interruptions that define my work life right now, I know that in a funny way they are my biggest blessing.  If I take a step back and get some perspective, I am pretty lucky to have people who care enough about me and need me enough to interrupt at all.  And see?  Now I am full circle to being a good respectable mom who has never thought about using duct tape to get a few minutes of quiet...

A Southern Prescription

I am not the type to take a break.  I have a to-do list on the dry erase board in my workspace that is always full and keeps me on task and busy whenever I am not sure what to do with myself.  I still have nightmares, years after finishing college, of showing-up to class without my homework done.  In my little world, there is always a load of laundry to do, a workout to squeeze in, a trash can to empty, a hat to knit, homework to help with, baseball, Tae Kwon Do, grocery lists, diapers, emails...there is ALWAYS something waiting for my attention and I only sleep to fuel my next day of busyness.

This must change.

Fresh off my first vacation from Ollie Bee Knits since opening in May, I am convinced that my five days spent doing nothing in the glorious 80-degree sunshine of Savannah, Georgia may have been the most productive five days I have had in months.  It is hard for me to admit when I need a break, but deep down I knew I wanted it.  An escape from housework and childcare sounded nice, but I needed something more...

Against the better judgement of my neurotic self, I stepped off the plane with Jim and I gave myself permission to just BE.  To do whatever I wanted.  I napped.  I knit.  I walked.  I ran.  I drank coffee.  I ate fried green tomatoes, collard greens, and banana pudding.  I talked.  I was quiet.  I took pictures.  I laughed.  I was myself and I was inspired. 

This trip wasn't just a break from my to-do list.  It was a full recharging of my batteries.  No, it was a total systems overhaul.  I am not sure I even knew how much I needed it until I was there in the midst of it.  You see, this "mom-working-from-home" gig is amazingly awesome and wonderful in so many ways, but it has its own unique challenges.  The big one for me is that I have my work and home to-do lists staring me in the face all day long, and since they both exist in the same space, there is never a chance to really escape from either one.  I don't "come home from work" to relax with my family.  My home, my work, and my family require 24-hour juggling.  An escape was necessary.

Savannah was the perfect venue with its combination of history, art, and nature.  We walked everywhere, which is my favorite way to get around, and it gave us the opportunity to really see the city.  We could pop in an antique shop find a school bell from 1810, we could see what students at SCAD were making, we could taste local Tupelo honey, or just trip over cobblestones laid by some of Savannah's first settlers.  Nothing was planned or rushed, and it all worked-out beautifully.

The funny thing is, while I was there doing nothing "productive," I had more ideas for my life and my business than ever.  And I came back to both with enthusiasm rather than just feeling overwhelmed.  This is a good thing.

Here are some photos of the trip and what inspired me: 

Jim, my husband and best friend who was the perfect company for this trip.  It was nice to feel like we were dating again.

Me, with my ever-present cup of coffee.  I don't care if I was sleeping 12 hours a day...I still need it :).

Savannah is organized in a grid system, with 24 different green spaces peppered throughout.  Every city should embrace natural beauty like this.

The trees in Savannah are covered in Spanish moss.  It makes everything look like it is out of a fairy tale.  I kept waiting to meet Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel.

Jim had to be so tired of me commenting on all the brick walls, but I seriously couldn't get over how beautiful all the buildings were.  You can't fake aged brick, and this has been aging to perfection for 250 years.

One of my favorite spots was Back in the Day Bakery.  It was adorable, and the food was delicious.

A latte with foam this beautiful has to be photographed.

The Olde Pink House is a culinary institution in Savannah.  The fried green tomatoes, fresh grouper, grits, and collard greens were perfection.

We visited The Paris Market several times in our five-day trip because we just couldn't take it all in in one trip.  It was a combination of vintage finds, new boutique, and Parisian cafe.  I could live there.

Does your downtown look like this?  I didn't think so.