I've slipped back into that workaholic mindset

[IMADreamer]

As you guys know, not long after my late gf got sick I sold out. Her terminal diagnosis made me realize, at least at the time, that I was not spending time on the important things. I'm there again. My gf today pointed out that I've worked every day since we got home from vacation and she was none too happy about it.

So I'm here again with more responsibility than before. Farm, side business, property, and a dozen other ideas in my head but I have to find a way to slow down. Hell I even sold all of my fun cars and I haven't replaced them yet. I don't know why I get into these all consuming have to be busy from waking until sleeping but I have to figure out how to stop it.

[CardsofSTL]

I can relate...I tend to consume myself with work tasks when I am trying to put my mind off other things that I don't want to think about; and that may be what you are doing yourself. One of the things that I try to do is get away with family; but it sounds like you just took a vacation. When I realize that I am going full boar workaholic; I try to evaluate what I am doing and list my work tasks according to which are crucial. I then make a schedule to get them done accordingly day by day; and when I finish that day's assignments I stop working and pay attention to better things; leaving the other work assignments for the next day. It is not a full proof system but it seems to help me re-orient a bit.

[IMADreamer]

I can relate...I tend to consume myself with work tasks when I am trying to put my mind off other things that I don't want to think about; and that may be what you are doing yourself. One of the things that I try to do is get away with family; but it sounds like you just took a vacation. When I realize that I am going full boar workaholic; I try to evaluate what I am doing and list my work tasks according to which are crucial. I then make a schedule to get them done accordingly day by day; and when I finish that day's assignments I stop working and pay attention to better things; leaving the other work assignments for the next day. It is not a full proof system but it seems to help me re-orient a bit.

I've been making to do lists for about a year now and they've helped me quite a bit. I think part of my problem is it's been a rough year at the farm, aren't they all? But my Dad has barely been able to contribute which is fine, he can't help his health, but it puts a lot of extra burden on me. Now in summer when I should be able to focus on some other things I just have this constant elephant that is looming over my head in that I know harvest is about 65 days away and it's going to be tough. Knowing it's coming I have this list of a million other things that need to be done ahead of time.

[mikechamp]

Can you hire help?

I work with someone who is absolutely fantastic. She's indispensable. However, she has trust issues (my diagnosis) and can't delegate to save her life. And she needs to... in order to prolong her life. (She's not in the greatest of health.) She works 6 days a week, often 12 hours a day. Her job is split between some light-duty physical labor and a desk job. She has one or two other people who work for her, but often her response is, "Oh, they can't really do that" or "It'll take just as long for them to do it as me". HR or workplace specialists would probably say someone like that needs to do a better job training their employees, but since I'm not an HR specialist, I can't say that definitively.

[IMADreamer]

Can you hire help?

I work with someone who is absolutely fantastic. She's indispensable. However, she has trust issues (my diagnosis) and can't delegate to save her life. And she needs to... in order to prolong her life. (She's not in the greatest of health.) She works 6 days a week, often 12 hours a day. Her job is split between some light-duty physical labor and a desk job. She has one or two other people who work for her, but often her response is, "Oh, they can't really do that" or "It'll take just as long for them to do it as me". HR or workplace specialists would probably say someone like that needs to do a better job training their employees, but since I'm not an HR specialist, I can't say that definitively.

That sounds like me. If I'm not there the whole place will fall apart. Truthfully it would probably be fine. We will definitely try to find some help for harvest. It's hard to find someone who can drive a semi and doesn't mind working 16-18 hours a day for three months straight. They do exist though.

At my side business that's growing into something quite a bit more I'm not sure I'm profitable enough to justify a hire. I've been kicking it around. I did outsource some of my 3d design work this month and it went pretty well.

[mikechamp]

Can I ask what the side business is?

[IMADreamer]

Can I ask what the side business is?

1/64 agriculture replicas and parts. I just landed an official license this summer and I'm working on the prototype for it now. I am also hoping to launch 5 new products by winter. It's a bit of a departure from how I've run the business so far but I'm trying to feel my way to the future. If these new releases are successful I could probably fund my retirement account with it anyway.

[mikechamp]

Cool. My son has some of these and gets them all out when playing farm.

[IMADreamer]

I'm not really in the toy market, but collectibles. Overage sale price of one of my pieces is around $90, with high end sets going for around $400.

[Arthur Dent]

I'm curious what you make the models with? Some kind of contract manufacturing or can you actually build them by hand?