It’s been a busy summer so far! Here’s a few quick updates:

• As I wrote about recently in trying out structured procrastination, I’ve tried increasing my workload so I can artfully procrastinate by working on other things. This actually seems to be working, weirdly enough, in increasing total output.

• There seems to be a balance I maintain between unplanned-but-productive work, critical-path-necessary work and maintenance-type work/chores. Doing the unplanned-but-productive work seems to generate the momentum so I want to do the critical-path work; I can’t do one without the other. Maintenance chores are done based on how immediate the need is, and I have stopped worrying about them. Interestingly, I have also been a bit more relaxed about PEOPLE too. I’m not sure why that is. Maybe being less stressed about the future helps my attitude, and knowing that I’m making progress on random stuff makes me feel good.

• The Living Room Cafe is proceeding. After months of deliberating on the wood, I went with the textured Makaha Wave dark hardwood and paid the $3200 materials down payment. I thought it would take months, but the wood is HERE now, and they’ll be delivering it thiscoming Tuesday so it has time to acclimatize before installation the following week. I packed up the entire living room (including my office), and right now they are removing the carpet and old baseboards. My Living Room Cafe Pinterest Board covers some of the upcoming details.

• Dad is paying an unexpected-but-welcome month-long visit during this time too, so we’ve been drinking a lot of tea and keeping ourselves busy with small projects. It’s great to spend so much time with him.

• I am WAAAAY behind on answering emails and posting, unfortunately. Once the floor is installed and everything is set up again, I’ll likely get back to it.

Work has been ongoing, albeit slowly, with all the other activities going on. With the increased activity load, I think I’m starting to regain a sense of what “realistic progress” is on a given type of work, and as a result I’ve been feeling more positive and relaxed about process. Before, I was always thinking I should be faster faster faster, thinking of the future achievement more than the work at hand. Largely this was because I was working to other people’s timetables, and when I started working more on my own projects I had retained that desire for the fastest and most optimal approach. Part of maturing as a creative independent, I think, is truly accepting your own timetable based on the terms you know will work.