How do you manage to fit it all in? Options

[Impressionist]

For the last week or so I've not been able to do any constructive practice. I am a little frustrated. :-(

To give an example, at the moment I am burning CDs for my early years music classes, plus printing off CD inserts and labels. I have baked four trays of shortbread as one of my children has a fund raising day at school, I have to see child 2's teacher after school about maths, then parents evening at child 1's school tonight. In between this I also have to sort out the washing, meals, general tidying (and I would say my house generally resembles the site of a small, but pretty nasty nuclear explosion) and keeping things ticking over at home.

I have lesson plans for next year to sort out, confirmations for the new term to send out, banking and other financial stuff to finalise as well as the dreaded tax return for January!

On top of that I've got two fairly large commissions for music production for other early years groups of which one is needed end of year/early next year and the other by March.

And I've not even thought about Christmas shopping yet.

How do you get any practice done? I need to spend around 2 hours a day to achieve my goal of grade 8 by the summer, or at least by the end of next year (which I really want to do so that I can change career direction away from the under five classes and return to private teaching). I just can't see it happening. Or perhaps it's just a difficult time of year?

[TSax]

I guess I'm the opposite of Maizie. I do set myself "I must do at least X hours" tonight, and then do it. Usually it's at least an hour for at least 3 out of 5 week nights then 1-2 hours on Sunday (Saturday I do 2-3 hours of other playing). Recently I've been preparing for gigs with a good standard big band and it's gone up to at least 1.5 hours any weeknight I'm not rehearsing and 2-3 hours on Sunday. It's worked - I did myself justice in the big band and I've taken a step-up in my playing with all the extra practice. I find it's a bit like exercise, if I only do it when I feel like it then it doesn't get done. If I make the effort and start even when I don't feel like it I'm usually enjoying it after 20 minutes.

I do work full time, leave the house about 8am, get back about 7pm BUT I don't have a family to take care of, so my priority after work can be music, and if there's no food in the fridge, clean clothes to wear or the floor is vanishing under assorted stuff then it's only me who has to put up with it.

[Maizie]

I find it's a bit like exercise, if I only do it when I feel like it then it doesn't get done. If I make the effort and start even when I don't feel like it I'm usually enjoying it after 20 minutes.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)
That's the reason why I think using 10 minutes free spaces can be good, because they can stretch out in to much longer sessions when you find it's not so terrible after all!
Just realised I didn't explain it - my problem is that if I was thinking "must do two hours" but could only find one hour, I'd end up saying "well I can't do two hours like I said I would, so I won't even try", lazy so-and-so that I am (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)