If so, I would fire myself!
With the hours working my seasonal job continuing to slow down to a mere trickle, I decided it was time to reclassify my current job description. Yes, I still work my very part time job and also work my side business, but now with so much more time on my hands, I tend to see myself more as a domestic engineer than that of someone who has gainful employment outside the home. And there is certainly nothing wrong with that position. I just need to remind myself that this job title also comes with responsibilities too.
So what did I accomplish on my first day as a Domestic Engineer? Nothing! You read that right; I accomplished absolutely zip! Blame it on the weather, blame it on virtually free Hulu, blame it on Monday, or blame it any number of things. It doesn’t change the fact of my lack of accomplishments. If I could have fired myself, I would have!
It is a good thing I am my own boss and can get more than one shot at this job. I realize that it is a position that I am truly blessed to have. My Hubby is happy with me taking care of our geriatric dogs (with geriatric bladders requiring frequent visits to the great outdoors!), managing the day-to-day needs of our finances and home and earning what I can when I can. Although me working a full-time job in my given profession (nursing) would certainly speed up our process to get out of debt, thankfully we are in a position where I no longer have to work simply to make ends meet.
After a fair amount of reflection over yesterday’s utter laziness, I decided that if I am to hold on to my job as a domestic engineer, I’ll need to have a checklist. Staying at home isn’t a pass to accomplish nothing. While there will be days that my tasks will change, I also know I’ll also feel better about myself when I am intentional.
In addition to doing my usual tasks of tidying up the house (nope, didn’t do that yesterday either!) and taking care of our boys dogs (no avoiding that task!), I realize that there are other things I should be doing as well. Being ever so mindful that we are on a mission to get out of debt (something that is never far from my mind!), there are things I can be doing to help improve our financial situation. Simple things such as earning a few bucks on Swagbucks or Amazon’s M-Turk or scanning the sales ads and matching coupons to get rock bottom prices on items we need, these are just a few things I know I should be doing. They all might be little amounts of earning and saving, but they do all add up.
Today was a new day, and I am thankful to say that I did accomplish all that I set out to do. The house looked respectable, the dogs were well taken care of, I earned a few bucks online, I put in 3 whopping hours at my seasonal job, and I even pulled the ads and coupons out of Sunday’s paper. Hey, it’s a start!
I’m sure my reclassification will take a little getting used to, but right now I have the benefit of time on my hands in which to learn it!
For those of you who do stay at home, how do you balance your days to make them productive?
Well, I have a routine. There are certain things that get done at certain times of the day. During the school year, typically, once the kids are off in the morning, I take my run, clean the kitchen, start laundry, make the beds, vacuum, change the cat litter, etc, then take my shower. I try to keep the afternoon “free” for things like crafting, baking, canning, etc. I try to have dinner at a set time each evening, usually early, so that the kids have a bigger chunk of uninterrupted time to do homework. The thing I have found that helps me the most is to to remember that my work is important, even though society may tell me otherwise. I treat it as such. So, just like I would never expect my neighbor who works outside of the home to drop everything to respond to a call or text while at work, others can’t expect the same from me. Moreover, I wouldn’t sit around on social media all day at a job outside the home, so I don’t at home either. Finally, I try to limit my days out of the house. To this end, I try to bundle all errands/appointments one day of the week. My home is my office, and I need to be here to run it smoothly. This is what works for me.
I think having a routine is a must. The job of a domestic engineer is important, and I agree, it must be treated that way. I like your line about “my home is my office.” So true!
You have my disease. The blahs…… I am so flippin busy and I can’t keep up with the laundry and I don’t care. Head dropping on keyboard:0
It is an awful disease! I need to snap out of it ASAP!
I would fire myself too! Taking care of a home is just a lot of work on its own, there is always something that needs to be dome.
It really is a lot of work!
Now i am studying in MCS engineering