Give a busy woman a job…

A saying that’s been around for ages and I think the rest of it goes “…if you want something done”. That applies to me, because the busier I am the more determined I am to get things done.

So, even though we are not having Christmas Day with family as such, we are having a family gathering on Saturday the 20th. So, I have a long list of to do’s. Not all related to that event, but I have to be very mindful of dates things need to be done by. One of them is a table I am making a mosaic on for next to the barbecue.

Here’s a progress photo

I am finding – as with a lot of retirees – that in a lot of ways I am busier than I ever was when working. But, it is a good kind of busy. A busyness of my choice doing things I enjoy. I can get very single minded too when I have a project and a deadline I have made for myself. I have been outside from 6am some mornings doing this project, but hopefully it has been worth it when the end result is revealed. I have not made the background to the frog to imitate a pond or anything. The mosaic has been an organic process, giving me ideas as I go along rather than having a rigid outcome that would not work for me.

I have been called a perfectionist when I was at work and that has always surprised me. As an example of something I cannot have perfectionist tendencies, is my mosaic project. I have tried previously to use standard tiles and to try to put them into neat rows. This never works for me as I end up frustrated because the result is not exactly perfect. It has stopped me completely a project in the past, so foreign to my nature is something that has to be perfectly lined up and in straight lines. A bit like my ‘eclectic’ methods when I was a Social Worker for 20+ years. I never could be one controlled by standard forms and practices. I had my way of doing things, which was often far from perfect, but things usually worked out well for my clients/patients.

I would not normally call myself artistic, but others will tell me that I am. I can always see the flaws in things that I have done, that perhaps others do not. But, that is OK. Sometimes having something with imperfections but achieving an end result that still gives pleasure is the best outcome of all.

None of us is perfect and in acknowledging this for myself and knowing that developing organically is what works for me, means I have a reasonable success rate. As long as I continue trying and working things out, I will feel good about myself. Whether this is for a project or in life itself, I will continue to try with an awareness that now is not the time to become a perfectionist.

Parkinson’s and my arthritis have both taught me to celebrate what I can do and keep doing it for as long as possible.

It is the doing of the task and maybe having to acknowledge that in order to participate some modifications may need to be done.

I will endeavour to keep doing the things that I enjoy but need to acknowledge that there may need to be some aids applied or assistance required to complete. That is OK with me.

For me, it is important that I try things and am truthful and realistic about my capacity to achieve desired outcomes. Having realistic goals certainly help.

When I purchased the table for the mosaic and told my husband of my plans and the deadline he expressed some doubt as to whether I could complete the project by that deadline. However, when I have a deadline it helps me to focus and I have built in time around other things to do the mosaic. It is actually quite satisfying and almost soothing to sit and work through the mosaic process.

I am best when busy and all my busyness is of my own making and not running to anyone else’s expectations.

Give a busy woman a job and she will complete it.

Mosaic awaits…

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