How much work?

How much work is "enough" to do in a day? I find myself struggling with that. On really good days, I get "done" before noon. But then I feel like a slacker if I don't work in the afternoon - when my son is dragging me off to take a walk, and everything I had planned is finished.

So what's enough? What's doing a good day's of work?

If I push too hard, I make myself miserable. I get obsessed by output and trying to do more than I can. There's only so much mental energy I have during a day. And, let's face it, when you're a SAHM, once naptime's over there's not a lot of free time.

So. The smartest thing to do, then, is cut back. It's easy to give myself too much to do and then berate myself for not doing it. But I already produce an astonishing amount of copy a day for a writer. I don't need to do more. More won't get me published faster if it makes me miserable. More won't get me happier. More won't even be any good. It'll just be more.

It's hard, because I can see what it is that I want, and I'm not there. But I won't get there if I burn out now, either.

So I guess I have to be gentle with myself.

Weirdnesses of Motherhood

I took my son for a walk today. Or at least, I meant to. I was having a really good day and had all my writing-work done for the day, and it was actually warm outside. (50s. my standards of warm are really low this time of year).

So I put on his little shoes and out we go. And he drags me to the garage. When I finally convince him to stop trying to open it for me (we don't have a powered door) he drags me back to the front door. And then repeat.

What ever happened to going for a walk?