Work = Passion

Part of the issue with my current cluttered home life is the fact that my job -- teaching band -- is also my passion.  Music is one of my main hobbies.  I always do work stuff at home, almost daily because it wouldn't get done otherwise.  Sometimes I get so swamped in my to do list that I forget to take time for me, or to take time to clean up my coffee table, or to go for my run that night.

I'm really happy that my job doesn't truly feel like "work" most days, yet at the same time it's a lifestyle that I can't just leave at the office at 5 pm every day.  My work comes with me pretty much wherever I go.  I also teach at a bazillion different schools which of course doesn't help because my car has become my "office".  I write emails from my couch in my yoga pants, I design concert programs while at coffee shops, I *may* sit at my desk once in a while.  My desk, which has become the catch all for everyyyyything paper.  I need a system.  Music is everywhere.  Music books are scattered on my living room floor constantly.  Receipts don't get filed.  Bills get paid, but the stubs stay out for weeks.  And I know I need a system, but I'm pretty lost when it comes to developing one.

One thing is I know I need to manage my time wisely and I don't exactly do that right now.  A lot of time during my down time I will have anywhere from 3 to 15 tabs open on my Google Chrome browser.  So even my free time my brain is on overdrive.  Oftentimes my work email is open in the background just in case.  It seems I can't just shut things off.

Last night I did something I hadn't in a while -- I shut off my computer at 9.  I didn't read email or Facebook or anything.  I read the magazines that had been piling up.  I did my dishes.  I organized a little.  And when I woke up the next morning to a not-as-cluttered apartment, I felt better about myself.  Some days it's not feasible to finish all work at 9 -- I don't have a prep hour after all -- but I think I need to do that more often.  Just shut off everything and relax in the moment.

What about you?  Does your professional life sometimes take over your home?  How do you deal with it?