“You have to live your life spherically, in many directions.” ~ Frances Mayes, Under the Tuscan Sun
A lot of people ask me how I can live such a varied life with so many interests that don’t necessarily fit together in a logical way. I like being a Renaissance woman; I love figuring just how all the pieces come together, even if on the surface they seem to have nothing to do with each other. I am a firm believer in connections and relationships.
I’ve struggled a bit to come up with a good answer for people who truly want to know how I fit it all in, how all these subjects and activities can live side-by-side in my brain. Part of it is my training – I’ve been on a vertical learning curve all my life, so much so that it’s where I’m most comfortable and engaged. I like having a challenge nip at me until I crack the code. For me, that’s play.
But people don’t like that answer. It’s not enough of a silver bullet. And then it dawned on me (in the lady’s room, if you must know!): most people don’t give a hoot how I fit it all in and maintain so many simultaneous interests. They want to know how THEY can do that. They want “the how” that they can replicate. Now I’ve got a bit of a better answer to their question.
Generally, this is how time works in my brain:
In the morning, I am in list mode. I jot down everything I need to do for the day, in no particular order. I add to it throughout the day, though most of my to-do’s strike right when I wake up.
Some time between 5:30am and 6:30am I head out for a walk with my pup, Phineas. You might think this is a time suck because I walk him for a full hour and I don’t multi-task when I walk him. Trust me, I need it as much as he does. It clears my head to walk Phin and I find that the whole rest of my day is much more productive after I get some exercise with him. I often return with a mental list full of writing ideas and people I need to contact later on.
After my favorite meal, breakfast (another time when I don’t multi-task – I just focus on chewing), I plow through as much individual work (at home or at the office) as I can before noon because I’m a morning person and a late night person. I’m not so much of an afternoon person. (I blame my European roots for this!) If I’m commuting to work, I use the subway ride to flip through emails and read the top news stories, again making notes in my to-do list as they arise from my reading.
Then lunch rolls around and I usually read through lunch. Again, I check the news, get through some of my to-do list, and invariably add more to my to-do list. (I’ve noticed recently that I have a tendency to mindless gulp my lunch – I need to focus a bit more on my chewing this meal.)
Afternoons are for listening and gathering information. I try to have all of my meetings and phone calls in the afternoon. I’m sure there’s a brain study here, just waiting to happen. (Now adding this research to my to-do list!)
Most of the time I have plans after work, whether I’m teaching a class, taking a class, or seeing friends. That’s down time for me and recharges me for the evening. If I don’t have plans, then I take the time for myself at home.
When I arrive home, I play with Phin for a bit and read the note from his dog walker to see how he did in the afternoon. Sometimes we take a little jaunt around the block, depending upon how we’re both feeling.
I do some yoga and an 18-minute meditation every night. No matter what. I set get out my mat and bolster, set my timer, and get it done. No compromises.
Then I write, usually with Phineas sitting next to me. The writing part of my brain kicks in when the sun goes down. I’m not sure why – perhaps because the distractions of the day have fallen away by then. I feel like way up on the 17th floor, I can be alone with my thoughts when it’s dark outside. All the listening and gathering I’ve done throughout the day has had time to gel.
Yoga, meditation, and all of the personal work I’ve done over the last two years have paid off by banishing my lifetime of insomnia. Occasionally I toss and turn, though most of the time sleep finds me pretty easily. I take Phin out for a last quick minute (literally) and then I try to shut off the lights just after I catch the top stories of the 11pm news.
That’s an average work day for me. So far, it’s working though I’m always open to changing it up as needed. How does your day map out? How do you get it all done?
Christa Avampato 
It’s so interesting to read about your rhythms. For me, morning is writing time. I definitely do my best work in the AM. Late at night — like, after about 10:00, which I realize isn’t late for most people! — all my brain wants to do is sleep 😉
I love that you practice yoga and meditate before bed, that’s lovely and very inspirational… but I can’t believe you follow that up with the 11 o’clock news!! Why watch the news so late at night? I can’t imagine that helps with insomnia? Not that you asked my opinion 😉
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Hi Amanda! I try to get yoga and meditation in around 8 or 9 so I have a bit more time before I go off to bed. I find that I get a little extra bump of energy right after, which is why a lot of people don’t suggest practicing at night. For me it just give me a little more productive time.
The 11:00 news doesn’t affect my sleep at all; in fact I think it helps me finish out the day. I like to know how the day’s news is winding down, particularly because I don’t always get to watch the news first thing in the morning unless I’m working from home. I guess it’s my “need to know” that has always made the news, at any time of day, so interesting to me!
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You ARE a true Renaissance woman and I hope writing a book is on your bucket list. Anyway, I’m curious how you physically capture all these ideas and to-do’s you come up with during the day. Paper? Electronic? At what point do you go back and make sure the lists you’ve created the day before actually have things marked off of them? I’m a life-long student of better time management processes, so I’m really interested in the tactical “tools of the trade” that work best for you.
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Hi Phyllis,
I wish I could tell you I use some super-sophisticated system. I use post-it notes. Seriously. (I also use the”Notepad” app on my mobile, and honestly I only use it to jot down ideas if I don’t have a pen. I occasionally put to-do’s in my Google calendar, too, if it’s urgent and / or time sensitive.) I stick the post-its in my bag and then post them on my desk at home or work as I tick through the to-do items. I can’t throw away the post-it until all the to-do’s are crosses off and because I hate random papers lying around, I’m motivated to get those to-do’s done!
I’ve tried a few electronic programs to keep track of to-do’s but I’ve never found any that works better than paper and pen.
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Christa,
I like the way you manage your time. Thank you for sharing this post.
It was great to read about your daily schedule. You are such a disciplined person. That’s why you are able to accomplish your goals and reach your objectives. A true professional and self-motivated. Maybe one of these days: how about a motivational speaking career? It would suit you well, since you practice what you preach. Very believable, in your case, and I am sure you would be perceived as a source of credibility. Reading this post, people would look up to you for guidance. Cheers to your wonder-filled life, great job, and keep up the good work.
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