Do y’all remember Project Elephant?

If you don’t, I don’t blame you. It’s been languishing in the shadows of pregnant-while-homeschooling-with-two-toddlers-then-having-a-newborn-then-having-a-relaxing-summer.

I know, I know. The excuses abound. In multi-hyphenate form, no less.

The truth is that I’ve actually been getting a fair bit done, even without my project elephant lists. Like more than usual, lately.

My productivity comes in waves, it feels like. I go through months-long blocks of exhaustion and, “Nope, not gonna happen right now.” And then, all of a sudden, my energy is renewed, and I feel up to waking up super early and tackling things that seemed utterly overwhelming only a few weeks before. (Case in point: I wrote this post early early this morning at Chick-fil-a while eating a fruit and yogurt parfait that was notย entirely 14 Day Cleanse compliant but was better than the chicken + egg + cheese bagel I really want to be eating…while using their free Wifi because I woke up at 5 to exercise so I could be done with that for the day. What??!)

Obviously, I like the peppy stages more than the, “Can somebody please find me some toothpicks to prop my eyelids open” stages.

Doesn’t everybody?

It’s almost impossible for us women not to put at least a few of our self-worth eggs in the accomplishment basket, especially in this day and age of (seemingly) endless productivity and creativity a la Pinterest plus 40 other new social media outlets a day (Periscope? Whaaaa?! I can’t even…I may eat those words, but I literally can’t even consider it right now).

So, OF COURSE, I like myself a little better when I’m kicking tail and taking names (by my standards; someone else probably wouldn’t be impressed) in the project/house cleaning/life department.

But I’ve also read Ecclesiastes. I’ve heard The Byrds’ Turn! Turn! Turn!

I am aware that there are seasons for everything, including nothing. As in “accomplishing” nothing. And being okay with that.

I’ve come to realize that my spurts of energy don’t usually come in the spring. I realize I’m supposed to see all that new life sprouting and feel this undeniable urge to clean! all! the! things!

But I don’t.

Instead, I just mentally calculate how many weeks of homeschooling we have left and weigh that against how much sanity I have left…and hope for it to break even. How’s that for honesty?

But the fall? That’s another story. After a relaxing, refreshing summer, when the weather starts to feel just a little bit less like I’m constantly swimming in a simmering pot of soup, I start to itch for something to paint or organize or rearrange. Plus, if you’re anything like me (and I know some of you are because you’ve already told me), there’s nothing like a party or a deadline to jump start your “git ur dun” battery.

Weeeelll, I have both looming. We’re having a party for the twins’ 3rd (????!!! How?!) birthday in a couple of weeks + plus some pictures that will be done at the house. And I need to get a move on.

SO!

After the world’s longest, most rambling introduction that basically could have been summed up with:

I feel like getting stuff done, y’all

I give you:

project elepant

This list is both ambitious (the craft room alone might be the death of me) and truncated (because there’s always more to do), but it’s a good start.

I will, of course, be blogging about each project as I finish it.

And I would, of course, love to know if I have any fellow one-bite-at-a-time project-ers out there.

Care to share what you’re working?ย Misery loves company, and all that.

Do you go through spurts of energy/lethargy too? If you’re just straight up productive all the time, I don’t think we can be friends. ๐Ÿ™‚

20 Comments

  1. I have a craft room that desperately needs to be cleaned out and organized. Picture this. 2 1/2 years ago I had surgery and was unable to move about. My husband decided that this would be the perfect time to recarpet 2 of our bedrooms which included the craft room. Since I was unable to move, he packed up and moved all the stuff out of my craft room into other parts of the house so they could lay the carpet. When it was all carpeted, he brought everything back in and kind of dumped it. I have struggled with the ambition to even start because it is so overwhelming I don’t even know where to start.
    And yes, my ambition and energy waxes and wanes and because of my fibromyalgia, there are good days and bad days for me to attempt these things.

  2. I’m one that’s just like you. ๐Ÿ™‚ parties and get togethers motivate me to get my house in order and decorate. I also have the random spurts of energy. When I wake not feeling in pain, I jump all over that and take advantage. Living with chronic pain is like, you’ve gotta make hay while the sun shines on the rare day you’re pain free. ๐Ÿ™‚

    I need to refinish my dining room table too, so I look forward to seeing your finish project.

    My twin girls are 2 1/2. Please let me know if things get easier when yours turn 3. I need hope! Lol ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. I usually hit the “Oh no! I haven’t finished a thing in months and now the holidays are coming!” Or “Oh no! I’ve had all summet but now that its rainy and cool i’M thinking i should finish all my paint/stain projects before winter!” Spurt of productivity in the fall but it hasn’t hit yet. I have a nearly 3 mo old, a 2 yr old and a 4 yr old, so I just have yet to find my new groove. Maybe this will help. I DID get a good start by deep cleaning the livingroom last week but that took all I had with fussy baby and whiny 2 yr old (can we just be done with teeth already?!?). Having a couple friends over for Bible study every other week starting this week, so I need to get my rear in gear!

  4. As someone with health issues, and “I-can-never-get-as-much-done-as-I-want,” I absolutely love (and desperately needed to hear) this line you wrote (It is OKAY… Like actually OKAY.. not God giving us “I’ll settle for” in a sort of way either…

    “I am aware that there are seasons for everything, including nothing. As in โ€œaccomplishingโ€ nothing. And being okay with that.”

    Working on blog stuff. Getting back into writing. Waiting a journal to come in the mail (a-n-y day) to begin a new study on the book of Luke.

  5. I am so curious to know if you stick with one project to the end or do you bounce around from project to project ?? so many times I get into the project and something unforeseen pops up and I have to wait to progress to the next stage so I go off to something else on the list and get engrossed in that until another obstacle pops up ETC and I have all these UFOs and it drives me nuts !!! any suggestions ?? I forgot to mention that sometimes the obstacles are due to physical challenges and not always due to poor planning and I need to wait for some intervention

    1. Sometimes, I bounce around. Once I really get going on a project, though. I try to see it through to the end. Or it may never get done!

  6. I feel ya girl! My energy comes in spurts too and when it hits I try and get everything I had been putting off done. In two weeks I have a get together planned with my inlaws, and several family friends. This requires that I get my house repairs finished…so I am looking at drywall, spackle, and paint for one wall. Painting my kitchen, finish painting my bathroom, recovering and painting two arm chairs, making new fall pillow cases and getting curtains to match, and getting new dishes…
    I may be biting off more than I can chew ๐Ÿ˜‰

  7. It definitely comes in spurts. I’m a night shift nurse so I feel like all I do is sleep (& do the bare minimum in housework) for weeks between those spurts. And, I definitely need a deadline (usually my in-laws coming to stay with us for a visit) to really light a fire under me.

    1. I can’t imagine having my schedule all discombobulated like that. I might never have any productivity. Ever. Good for you!

  8. I always have a list on cork board that I walk by 1000 times a day!!! I add to it often and hopefully cross some things off. I love projects and love seeing a finished “vision”! Right now I am in the middle of a bedroom makeover for my oldest 3 daughters. Coming along nicely but what would have taken me a few days pre-baby is taking me about 3-4 weeks – slow and steady I keep telling myself!! If only that would sink in!
    On my list hanging is…paint shutters, sand and repaint bench in kitchen, put up hooks in the garage and build a play fort in the back yard!
    We seem to juggle alot of the same things – I ha e a 2 month old, toddler – 2 that I home school (K & 3rd) and have 2 at school (6th and 7th)!!!

    1. I like that idea of a board you can see at all times. I tend to have lists floating all over my kitchen, which is why it’s helpful for me to make a definite one here for accountability and as a point of reference.

  9. I love this rambling post SO much! I’m working on redesigning my closet and organizing big time for the fall. Yesterday I dropped off 5 bags of clothes and toys to Savers — felt good! I think I want o repaint my bathroom too. Love productivity at home! This weekend I’ll take down summer and transition into fall decor. My fav! Rock on girl xo

    1. HA! Glad you like the randomness. I will be amazed if I actually get to any traditional fall decor. But I’ll also be thrilled if I get everything on that list down. So…yeah! You rock on with YOUR bad self!

  10. I hear you on the spurts on energy! We just moved over the summer and it’s been one project after another ever since. And while some have been relatively fun (painting, decorating, organizing), some are not so much (landscaping!). But I’m actually really looking forward to a nice relatively low-key Fall.
    Can’t wait to see the project updates

    1. Oh, I hope you get your low-key fall. Fall/winter is when all of our birthdays are (except Ezra’s), with two of them falling the same week as Thanksgiving, so fall is never particularly low-key for us, but it is fun!

  11. I definitely go through spurts of creative energy. I’ve been in a slump of sorts, though I did check one thing off my list – painting some small oval frames gold. The shiny makes me happy!

    My big thing right now is to (finally) paint #1’s room – it’s NEVER been painted. Just the flat builder-grade blah that came with the house. Along with many patches and holes that still need to be patched.

  12. I’m totally way more productive in the fall versus spring. Living in the south after such brutal hot summers I think the fall weather just recharges me. Also, it makes way more sense to deep clean the house and work on home projects before the crazy holiday seasons set in.

I love hearing from you guys!