Coming back to my own time

For the past 9 years, I've been living on kid time.

Here's the context: me time (not to scale)

• 22-24: grad school - moderate
• 24-29: IBM - a little lower
• 29-33: experimented with semi-retirement - peak
• 33-42...: parenting; I am here! - very low, but gradually increasing
• 50s: menopause? - probably down a little
• 60s onwards: I wonder what this part will be like... - probably a decline

I'm starting to be able to have me-time again. I want to capture what I've learned because early parenting's energy limits might help me plan for menopause, illness, or old

The first big challenge:

• Physical limits
  • sleep deprivation
  • brain fog
  • low energy
• How:
  • Lower expectations
  • Naps
  • Going with the flow

When that settled down:

• Fragmented attention span:
  • Tiny steps (5-15min)
  • Notes, literate coding
• Unpredictability
  • Things I can pick up and put down
  • Other devices
• Lack of momentum
  • Acceptance

Things I learned about myself:

• My failure modes; asking for help
• The essentials
• My kinds of play

Now what?

• Skills
• Going with the flow
• Processes and systems
• Stocks and flows

https://sach.ac/2025-09-10-10