Where to start... where to start... is essentially the problem. Waking up, trying to get the day going, and being paralyzed by all the little things that need to be done. The way forward is just to take on one little thing at a time, see some progress, and use the momentum to get as much done as possible and be happy about what's left on the list. Getting the boys to buy into this idea, well, that's a different challenge.
There is danger in living this lifestyle, in terms of "getting things done," anyway. Being able to wake up whenever I want leads to things like... doubts about whether I actually need to take showers on a regular basis. Before you say "eeewww" to yourself, keep in mind that unless you are interfacing with other adults that clean themselves head to toe on a daily basis, you really don't need to. Feeling like I can choose when things get done, however, leads to not doing said things in a timely manner. Shirking! One of the lesser-known deadly sins.
I have organizational skills; nay, compulsions, that need to be engaged on a regular basis in order to feel like life is under control. However, sometimes I look at the organizational situation and see a pattern of building blocks that need to be themselves reorganized in order to suit my needs. Sometimes the groundwork for laying those building blocks just involves too much work, and I come down with a case of the fuckits.
Compounding the situation is the fact that I recently was diagnosed with Crohn's disease -- an autoimmune disorder that causes gastrointestinal problems, and in my case, arthritis and severe fatigue. These symptoms got worse over the summer, to the point where I got the fuckits immediately after waking up in the morning. Fortunately, with this diagnosis, I am now getting some help and therapy and feeling much better.
So, now is the time to figure out how to get this organizational plan together. I need to accommodate the boys' needs first: school, play, appointments and chores. If I am properly prepared, they can do some of that stuff on their own, which leaves me time for the second priority: my schoolwork. After that, I need to do freelance work, then housework. I also need to get more exercise; being a summer shirker and treating the disease that was actually making me keep some weight off has led to a couple extra ellbees, and I need to get a plan in place now before I wake up someday soon and I don't fit out the door anymore.
Unfortunately the proper order for those priorities does not always fit into the flow of the day. I also get hung up on doing my schoolwork when the house is not clean! So annoying. We are also exploring what it's like to be part of a charter school this semester, and that places new responsibilities on both me and the kids, ones that we are not used to (more on that later). Unexpected crazy inventiveness from the #2 boy also shaves of a huge chunk of time, and random appointments and errands take away the parts of the week I mentally reserved for regular upkeep. However, these are things I need to honor and not dismiss.
What to do? I'm not saying I know at this point. We just bought a couple of extra items of furniture for the area around the computer desk, in an attempt to create more compartments for organization. I am excited about this. I think I will then decide on a few chunks of time per day or week that are committed to certain chores, and keep them like appointments. If I don't get too carried away with that idea, then I can still have "unorganized" time to use for whatever. And maybe I will feel like I am getting some sort of act together!
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