Is Your Work Ever Done?

[Shooby]

  Is your work ever done?  Do you feel like you get any time to relax?  Maybe i am just not that organized but there is literally always something to do!

[3catslady]

I never get everything done.  I take time to relax for my sanity.  I feel that if something isn't done to others specifications,  oh well.  My sister comes over and I have dishes in the sink, she'll say something and I tell her to go ahead and do them.  Then thank her for helping me out.  

[msventoux]

There's always something to do, and there's no reason to be bored...ever! 

A frequent refrain from my childhood.  No, everything isn't always done and there is always something productive I could be doing.  But, is it productive for a good reason that will ultimately improve my life exponentially, or is it just busy work?  The important stuff is kept up.  The rest?  Eh, it gets done when it gets done. 

[dee27]

No, the work is never done, and as soon as I throw away my to-do list, more chores appear. That's life!

[Deleted]

There are different types of work, I guess.  There is the work you get paid for, and then there's the work involved in life.

The work I do for $$$ is done 2X a year.  It is done at the end of 1st semester when I leave for Christmas holidays.  Despite holidays like Labor Day, Veterans' Day, and Thanksgiving, this break is the only break when I don't HAVE to grade essays.  Ditto for the end of 2nd semester.  Teaching is one of the few professions that have definite end points.

The work in life NEVER ends.  Dust is falling on the furniture even as I speak.  

[Deleted]

Yes, there is always "future work" but there are pockets of "done for now"

[Deleted]

Dec 25, 2016 21:52:43 GMT -5 @aj said:

Yes, there is always "future work" but there are pockets of "done for now"

Done for now never lasts an entire day.  The cat uses the clean litter box.  Someone puts a glass in the sink.  There's laundry in the hamper.

It doesn't bother me, but that's why I hate doing housework.  It isn't something that STAYS done.

[busymom]

Nope, it seems my work is never done. I always breathe a sigh of relief when I get through a big project, but can immediately think of other things I've put on the backburner that could use some attention. Housework is like a desk job: if you take a few days off, there's a pile waiting for you when you get back.

[countrygirl2]

I used to try to do it all, make sure work at work was done and my home kept immaculate, I drove

myself crazy. Would become so exhausted I literally had to call insick on occasion because I would

collapse and sleep for 2 days. Looking back I should have hired cleaning help and been less of a

perfectionist at work, it didn't pay off anyway.

Tonight I just got the dishes in the dishwasher done and did 2 loads of clothes, the house is still

clean and the litter box is clean! but it won't last long and tomorrow back out to the motorhome to

work so we can get ready to go maybe first week of January, it would have cost thousands to do what

I am doing to the inside of it and we can't do that. If diesel fuel goes up like it did before I'm likely

done or limited anyway and I love to go.  I will be so tired before I go will need to rest a day or two.

My husband says I make work on myself, I would hate to see what our home would look like if I did

not.  But there will be a day I need to hire help, hope we can afford it, I do not want to live in a dirty

house.

No the work is just done for short spans of time like now.

And I have reams of paperwork that I never get done for MIL and DD, I work on it and renters stuff

every few days and sometimes for days.  It's like I have a part time job.

[Deleted]

I make time to relax . I need to or life becomes un-fun.

[swamp]

Dec 25, 2016 22:37:41 GMT -5 busymom said:

Nope, it seems my work is never done. I always breathe a sigh of relief when I get through a big project, but can immediately think of other things I've put on the backburner that could use some attention. Housework is like a desk job: if you take a few days off, there's a pile waiting for you when you get back.

[Green Eyed Lady]

Nothing around my house is ever "done".  I dust - it comes back. I vacuum - the dog drops more hair.  I get the laundry done - there's more. It's never ending. I was quite depressed about this the other day!  I never come to the bottom of things.  One thing gets done - another is waiting.

So I'm sitting here doing absolutely nothing since I can't get ahead anyway.

[billisonboard]

My wife just voiced a list of all the demands on her time finishing with, "it never ends." She seems to have missed the irony that one thing she included was attendence at a Memorial Service.

[Deleted]

Is my work ever done? 

No.

I will always be working on myself no matter what else (outside of me) appears to be done. 

[gooddecisions]

I'm pretty good at staying on top of things, but we got some really bright flashlights for Christmas and man those things are going to have to stay in a drawer. Nothing like shining 1000 lumens on the floor or under furniture to magnify how filthy your house really is.

On another depressing note, the instructor at the gym commented about making it to the 5:30 AM class- Monday this, Tuesday is that, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and then repeat for the rest of your life. A nice reality slap to the face.

[gooddecisions]

Also, my MIL told us in October she was going to pay for a cleaning service for Christmas to give us a little relief. They got us a small, cordless vacuum cleaner instead. I feel like there is a joke in there somewhere.

[countrygirl2]

Speaking of cleaning, I'm going to the basement to vacuum, I need to to be able and lay the bedspread out

I am assembling on the floor and right now its again blessed with lots of dog hair. I love my cat and dog

but when they go out of this life no more. I spent yesterday cleaning up vomit from old cat, thankfully I

had the carpets scotguarded, going to again when I have them cleaned soon.

I would love to go with hard wood but the tile hurts my feet and not sure I can stand all of it hard wood or

tile.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Nope. I decided I can either drive myself into the grave trying to always be productive and check things off my list or I can prioritize and consider the rest to be good enough.

I do this at work and at home. If people want to judge they are free to jump in and do it themselves.

Nobody can operate at full speed all the time. Eventually you burn out and make mistakes. In my case it has often been big costly mistakes.

By not being obsessed as much with giving 110% all the time I've discovered I have more energy for those times when I really do need to pull out all the stops.

[countrygirl2]

And for some reason I am down in my back today, its all around my rib cage. I have a place

in the middle of my back that goes out and causes me a lot of pain, I took a tramadol, 350mg

acetaminophen and an arthrotec. It started last night, also sprayed with the topical stuff. Think

I'm going to have to put on my back brace today. Have chiro appointment this week, I was

doing great, then wham.

[countrygirl2]

This chiro does a lot of stretching works better for me. They also have a massage therapist DD and I go to. Medicare pays for the chiro but out of pocket for DD and I massages so $70 plus tip. All this stuff adds up.

I get so much exercise, bending, stretching, and working on things here I'm to pooped to go do more.  I'm sure

I should but you know.  I have all the equipment downstairs.

[busymom]

Dec 26, 2016 12:31:39 GMT -5 alwaysbeoptimizing said:

Dec 26, 2016 12:20:37 GMT -5 countrygirl2 said:

And for some reason I am down in my back today, its all around my rib cage. I have a place

in the middle of my back that goes out and causes me a lot of pain, I took a tramadol, 350mg

acetaminophen and an arthrotec. It started last night, also sprayed with the topical stuff. Think

I'm going to have to put on my back brace today. Have chiro appointment this week, I was

doing great, then wham.

sorry pat, that's a bummer today. not sure if you're seeing a physical therapist too, but sometimes *proper stretching and exercise can make a huge difference long term

   So sorry to hear your back is misbehaving, Pat.  And, I agree with alwaysbeoptimizing that the stretching exercises I learned from my own physical therapist are a huge help when my own back starts acting up.  My "favorite" exercise is laying flat on my back, on my bed, and very slowly pulling one knee at a time towards my chest. (When it starts to "pull" or "hurt", you slowly let the leg go back down until you're laying flat again.)  That stretching exercise has kept me out of the doctor's office many times.  Best wishes for quick healing!

[finnime]

Dec 26, 2016 11:05:42 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

I'm pretty good at staying on top of things, but we got some really bright flashlights for Christmas and man those things are going to have to stay in a drawer. Nothing like shining 1000 lumens on the floor or under furniture to magnify how filthy your house really is.

On another depressing note, the instructor at the gym commented about making it to the 5:30 AM class- Monday this, Tuesday is that, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and then repeat for the rest of your life. A nice reality slap to the face.

One of the benefits of aging eyes - can't see so many housekeeping omissions anymore! Or stray eyebrow hairs, or spots on mirrors...

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

You mean it's supposed to be done at some point??!!  

[NoNamePerson]

My work is always done as long as I don't have my readers on. 

[quince]

Scheduling time to sleep and time to myself IS part of "work". It's hard to be your best self if you never have downtime, and the people in your life deserve your best self. Right now nothing is done to satisfaction, but it's better than a spotless home and me and/or my husband about to explode in anger and frustration at needing a damn break.

[TheOtherMe]

If I don't have the sleep I need and "me" time, I am worthless to anybody.  That is more important than the house. 

[Value Buy]

Now that we are retired, my wife and I are at polar opposites.
She is all about lists. Long lists. It never gets done.
I am the opposite. I make short lists. And get done early in the day and feel relieved and happy I accomplished what I intended to do

Unfortunately, she also makes a list for me to do, and I get depressed when I do not finish it daily.
I keep telling her she would feel better if the list was shorter, and got it done, but she usually hands me a revised list at the same time

There is always tomorrow, people
Until there are no more tomorrows, and then it really doe not matter.
I prefer to stay happy.

[wvugurl26]

I try to schedule some down time. I also travel a fair amount so sometimes those couple hours after work are the only time I get to clean, do laundry, etc. And if I'm overdue on evicting dust bunnies I wake up sick with allergies.

[debthaven]

My DH often says, if we had no work to do, we'd probably be dead.

I tend to work in "spurts". I work hard at times, but I also definitely need my down time, and I take it.

I can only relax when everything is (supposedly) "done" though. I can't relax if I have a short deadline, or if the house is messy, or if the dishwasher needs emptying, or the laundry is piling up.

So I do what I need to do first, and then I relax. I'm generally not a procrastinator, I think that definitely helps.

[Tired Tess]

I make time to relax.  My day ends at 8:00 p.m.  It's couch time  .

How can everything get done?  If I'm up-to-date at work, I come home too exhausted to get housework done.  My husband and I do our best.  The three kids do help.  

It is what it is.  We all try.