JessicaSprague.com

My Confession 

I can’t hide it.  This Elements girl has had her nose pressed to the glass, so to speak, as she’s watched Photoshop users create every text path imaginable.  On a swirl, in a circle, in the shape of the letter “T”, around a heart…  It’s not that I want Photoshop so much {blatant lie} as it is that I just want Elements to do what I want it to do.  But just wanting to do text paths isn’t a reason to spend $600 on an upgrade {according to my husband}.  So I recently began a quest – one that would involve highs and lows {and highs again.}  And I know what you’re thinking – “Silly girl, you can buy text paths and find plenty of free ones too.”  I know it – but I want the freedom of drawing my own insect-like patterns around my layout with cute little buggy sayings and…  and I digress.  {...}

You know the saying, "those who can't do, teach?"  It's a huge source of amusement to my family that I've taught so many classes on time management over the years.  I'll be honest; I'm not a scheduled person.  I'm more of a "go with the flow, see where the day takes me" kind of girl.  But I do believe in the principles of time management, and one day I hope to get it right!

It's About Time 

For me, time management isn't about adhering to a rigid schedule.  It's about evaluating HOW you spend your time, and WHAT you are giving your precious time to.  It's about balance.  A simple concept, and yet when I evaluate my own days, I find a lot of my time given to things that aren't necessarily important to me.  Reacting instead of acting, giving to the urgent instead of the essential.

What do you treasure?  Who do you treasure?  If you gave an accounting of your time, would it let the world know what you care about? I have personally found that when my actions are in harmony with what I value, I am a happy girl.  I feel whole. I'm a better wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend and employee. When I became a mother, my life became unbalanced as I dealt with this wonderful new challenge.  I let my creative side take a backseat.  And it took me several years to realize that my passion had disappeared. There always seemed to be something more urgent to do than be creative.  How can I sit down to a layout when I desperately need to do laundry?  How can I go outside and take pictures when I have bills to pay?  How can I paint, draw, write, practice piano? There will always be something more "important" to do.  But will it matter in a week, month or year? We are creative beings--we need to create.  So my question to you is, "Are you setting aside time to CREATE?"  {...}