Things have shifted.
My regular readers will know that my life has changed significantly in the last three months.
In addition to our own business, my writing, and the Sacramento Book festival, I’ve added two new things to the mix. Moving to a new place, which was exponentially harder than I thought it would be and still isn’t really over a month and a half later, and managing the Nebula Awards/Nebula Con.
Each of these things is like a full-time job, and I am struggling to adjust.
* deep breath *
I am adjusting.
I recently likened it to a Jenga game, which isn’t an exact metaphor, but it does get to something fundamental. Each day I search for the pieces I can easily remove, slowly reducing the overall complexity of all the work I am doing.
Is there a picture that can be hung? Do it!
Is there a book festival task that can be checked off the list today? Do it!
Is there someone I can contact to move a task for the Nebulas along another step? Apologies to Nike but just do it!
Sometimes achieving balance requires changes. Like using my breakfast time to dictate voice-to-text part of the next scene in one of the stories I am writing.
And sometimes it requires sacrifice. Some things just aren’t going to get done, and some deadlines – especially on the personal and writing side – are going to suffer. This week, I had to let go of a story I planned for an anthology later this year because I just don’t have the bandwidth right now to write it.
My wonderful husband has probably suffered the most – we both knew this would be a challenge, but I don’t think either of us was prepared for the physical and emotional toll dealing with all of it at once would take on us.
Still, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. While we still have house related things to do, we’re here, and the struggle of packing and actually moving is behind us. The book festival in this Sunday, so in another week, that will be off my plate. And by mid June, the Nebulas will be over and all that will be left is the wrap-up.
For now, I am slowly regaining my balance. Each day it gets a little easier. And with each step, I am moving toward something new.