Motherhood: A Day in the Life #7 – Jacqueline

It has taken me quite a while to realize that I am living the dream. Really! So many people are reading books and blogs about downsizing and living simpler and our family made that leap 10 years ago, before it was fashionable. We are trendsetters, risk takers or just plain crazy – you can decide for yourself.

10 years ago we took the risk of moving, sight unseen, to a little town in the Ozarks from San Francisco. I had been working for a big corporation running an art department and we were ready to get off the treadmill of working 70+ hours, paying ridiculous amount of rent to our landlord, and the crushing daily life of city living. We love San Francisco, but it was taking its toll on us.

So we took a leap of faith. I now craft my life, which is exactly what all those books and blogs are shouting about. Craft your own life, live simpler, have less, stuff doesn’t make you happy, on and on… that is how we live. I am a consultant to small businesses nationwide and a part time director of a Main Street program, my husband is an apprentice to a wood worker, and our daughter is in college. We live in a cottage on 13 acres of land, are constantly clearing out stuff to live a sparser more clutter free life, and schedule our days to be about less stress and more enjoyment.

My typical workday looks something like this:

7:14 – Zeppelin dog whispers at the side of my bed to go out. I let him out, feed him and the cats and go back to bed.

7:32 – Zeppelin wants back in. I get up, let him in, and go back to bed.

8:05 – I finally get up, I hate leaving the warm comfort of our king size bed covered in handmade quilts, make coffee using my hand crafted coffee maker from Paradise Pottery, shower, find something simple to eat and head to my studio. (I converted my daughter’s bedroom in our cottage to my studio when she left for college 4 years ago.)

8:30 – Sit (meditate) for 10 minutes, write for 10 minutes long hand, review my schedule for the day.

9:00 – 1:00 – Answer email, design projects, pay bills, drink coffee, eat almonds and apples, make phone calls, schedule appointments, make connections, get up a ton of times and wander outside, drink copious amounts of water and lemon slices out of mason jars, and finish the top three things on my list.

1:00 – Lunch with my husband, usually something simple from the night before.

1:20 – Back to work. Same as above but I have probably moved to the love seat in my office and am just answering email and writing for the rest of the day.

I am TOTALLY inspired by this quote: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.  If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle” – Steve Jobs

It is how I live each day. If I am not doing good work, I am not living up to my full potential. It drives me to seek simpler solutions, not invite the crazy into my life (you know, that friend that drives you nuts, the event you didn’t want to go to, or the project that has a nightmare committee), and create a life that has meaning.

4:45 – Walk/Jog into the 100-acre park that is adjacent to our property with my husband through the woods and to the dam. We usually see no one, our dog runs with us, and we can watch the seasons develop through the forest floor.

5:45 – Dinner with hubs. Usually something very simple like Super Salad, baked potatoes or salmon. I don’t over complicate food and just serve whole, fresh foods. I use almost no processed food and probably only spend 20 minutes cooking a night.

6:15 – Wash dishes, by hand, with my husband.

6:30 – Play catch – for Christmas he got me baseball mitts and alpaca gloves (which, I loved) and we play in the yard. I don’t know why I like it so much, but we hang out and talk and catch the ball.

7:00 – Watch News Hour – I am totally an NPR and PBS junkie and love to watch the news on PBS. We don’t pay for cable and only have 10 channels anyway. I am trying to not watch as much TV, its a do nothing thing and things don’t get done when I do!

8:00 – Read blogs, write, schedule my next day, and listen to some favorite podcasts.

9:00 – Yoga stretch in the living room on my mat.

9:20 – Pick up any random things around the house. Fold clothes, or do whatever household chores need to be done. Since our house is pretty bare – just not a lot of stuff in it – it is easy to put things away where they need to be.

9:45 – Head to bed to read and snuggle. Depending on the book, I am usually conked out by 10:30.

Granted, I plan and work on over 100 projects a year – events, design projects, media events, websites, etc. and so this seems like I am not very frantic. I’m not because I can balance what I am doing with time for my family and me. It is so relaxed I sometimes wonder if we were to slow down any more if we would be dead.

I just don’t believe that “being busy”, buying more stuff, or doing more is what makes us happy. In fact, every single study says it doesn’t. Sure, I get stuck in that sometimes too, but mostly I just take a step back and get back into my groove and it has been a pretty amazing ride!

Jacqueline blogs at jacquelinewolven.com about working smarter and living simpler.  She lives with Greg her partner of 25 years, two cranky cats, and Zeppelin dog in a 115 year old cottage on 13 acres in the Ozarks. Her daughter, Paige, is learning to call the Hogs at UofA. Jacqueline is proud to say that has completely reclaimed her life to be on her own terms.  It isn’t about having more stuff, having fancy titles or living in big house – instead it is about living a life doing good work.  Do you want to take the leap? She can help email her at jacquelinewolven at gmail.com. She can also be found chattering on Twitter @jackiewolven.

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