The Fabulously Single Project, Week Three: Unplug, Mom!

I’m addicted to my MacBook Pro and Droid. So much in fact that when I am forced to disconnect their umbilical cords and unplug, I curl up into an anxiety filled ball. Why? Because I always feel like I’m going to miss something. The real truth is I’m missing important moments of my life and my son’s while incessantly checking notification lights and reloading my Twitter app. Though my MacBook and cell phone keep me connected to my online family, they also keep me disconnected from my immediate one.

It’s time for this Mom to unplug, some. I’m hopeful, not crazy!

The hard thing about working from home and doing the bulk of your job online is it’s often hard to “punch out”. I don’t have an eight hour shift with scheduled breaks and lunches, which is probably half my problem, so I often feel like I’m always on the clock. An email, DM, or Facebook message comes in at 7pm, 8pm, or 9pm asking for my help with something and I stop what I’m doing and answer it. On the weekends when I should be focused on relaxing and spending time with my son, I find myself taking on work related projects that could probably wait until Monday. My brain is constantly in “work” mode, coming up with ideas for blog posts, designs, and projects. This cycle goes on and on and then I feel like I never get a break.

Most days I feel exhausted, yet I’ve accomplished little. If I could get more work done during the week I’d be a less distracted mom on the weekends.

I know I need to start setting limits for myself and unplug if I want to be a better single mom. That’s what Week Three of The Fabulously Single Project is all about.

Related: Week Three, holy shit! Times flies when you’re learning how to be fabulously single!

Here are my two simple goals for this week:

Create a work schedule and stick to it. Whether it’s 8am-5pm or 9am-6pm, I need to choose a block of hours to complete work related tasks from Monday to Friday, schedule in two breaks and a lunch so I don’t get antsy, and, most importantly punch out and unplug at quitting time. This also means committing to NOT WORKING on Saturday or Sunday, and instead focusing on my son or doing something I enjoy if he’s busy playing with his friends. Of course I know once I get my Stella & Dot business up and running I will need to do trunk shows on the the weekends, but that’s a bridge I’ll cross when I get there.

Unplug on Saturday and Sunday from 12pm-9pm. This means shutting down my MacBook Pro and putting my Droid on silent. Dear God, that gives me anxiety just thinking about it, yet I know committing to it will make me a better single mom. Spending time with my family and finding happiness outside a career are important to me. Unplugging will allow me to do that.

Wish me luck!