At the moment, I am itching to give my house, my garden, my wardrobe, my business strategy, my website and my Facebook page all a huge overhaul to celebrate the arrival of the new season.
Keeping in mind that I'm probably one of the most impatient people you'll ever come across, I know I will have to curb my enthusiasm to change everything all at once just a little because I am on a tight budget and there are only so many hours in the day that I can actually spend working on these projects.
I've always had a lot of energy, but I realise I have to start things by finding a way to effectively manage my time.
Otherwise, all these plans will turn into half-baked attempts to make too much happen which means nothing will get done properly.
To become better at organising, prioritising and scheduling my days, I turned to Google for some guidance.
There are so many resources online that can help tackle all sorts of problems, from the most practical tips on how to do stuff to articles that help a person find direction when struggling with things a little more profound.
Not saying that everything you find online should be taken as gospel, but the internet is unmistakably the most accessible tool to use if you want to find the ins and outs of just about anything.
I couldn't imagine life without it anymore.
On entrepreneur.com, I found an article written by Joe Matthews, Don Debolt and Deb Percival. It was called 10 Time Management Tips that Work.
The authors say that everything we have learned about time management in books, classes or by using paper-based or electronic day planners is a complete waste of time.
That's a bold statement but it made sense to me.
The article says there are two types of time: clock time and real time.
In real time, all time is relative. It drags or flies depending on what you are doing.
Reading further, I learned that real time is not regulated by the clock but by my own mental state.
In a nutshell: I create it, and anything I create, I can manage.
Have your heard about Rushing Woman's Syndrome?
It originates from a book written by Dr Libby Weaver, and it addresses the biochemical and emotional effects of constantly being in a hurry.
It deals with the way that so many women are running themselves ragged in a daily battle to keep on top.
I am certainly rushed most of the time, but I don't find this affecting me negatively.
To me, it all has to do with the way you approach a busy schedule.
Take last Tuesday as an example. I started work at 5am and except for the minutes it took to make a few cups of tea plus a short lunch and dinner break, I worked on until midnight.
When done, I was pretty shattered, but it felt amazing that I managed to achieve so much in just one day. It gave me real buzz.
Sure I feel overwhelmed at times. Don't we all?
But when that happens, I just think of a little something I found on ZM radio host Polly Gillespie's Facebook page, which is a great page to follow if you like motivational quotes and random fun stuff.
It said: "She changed her can'ts into cans and her dreams into plans."
Taking the time to admire something as simple as daffodils, or the sound of the tui in my garden only proves to me that I am, indeed, in control of managing my self-created chaos.
But I can only keep this crazy pace up because I love doing what I do, and I guess that makes me one of the lucky ones.
Martine Rolls is a Tauranga writer and digital strategist - www.sweetorange.co.nz
