SCA Overload!

One thing you quickly realise in the SCA is that if you participated in every activity that was on offer you would have to give up your day job! Now as attractive as that proposition sounds, I still have to eat so this brings me to the point of today's post, how to manage your SCA time. I'm actually really bad at this so if anyone has any ideas, please let me know!

Managing your SCA commitments

1. Realise you can't do everything - At least not at once! There's always some cool new activity that you could be doing but I've realised that you have to take a few activities and really give your heart and soul to them to get the best results. Most of my short SCA life I've been a "dabbler" and been really frustrated with my results. Now that I've focused on a few activities some of my stuff is actually working! As a fringe benefit, once you focus on a few activities people feel more comfortable investing time in helping you, rather than assuming that you'll skip off to your next activity in a few weeks anyway.
2. Beware the weight of expectation - Because I was doing everything for a while, people assumed that I would always do everything! That meant that there was a heavy weight of expectation on me and lots of disappointed people when I was too exhausted/bored/busy to participate in something. This all led me to a mini-burnout and I strongly advise against it. Participate in the things you want to, not what other people want you to.
3. Schedule non-SCA time - Heresy! No really, I have found that despite the howls of protest I occasionally hear when I don't show up to something, you really need some time away from the SCA every so often. If you're not having fun, sometimes it can help to just step away for a week or two. Soon the call of the sewing machine or the glint of your armour will drag you back, full of the enthusiasm that brought you to the SCA in the first place.
4. Get help - For the longest time Cinara and I tried to do everything ourselves, and were really afraid to ask for help. It's amazing how less frustrating sewing became for me once I was willing to let others show me how that anarchic, incomprehensible sewing machine actually worked! And don't be afraid to ask "dumb" questions. If it makes you feel better, I had to ask someone how to use Saffron. Oh the shame, the shame of it all...
5. Don't just say yes to everything - Okay, I'm going to come out an admit that I am the worst possible offender here and always agree to things without thinking about the consequences. Trust me, if you agree to everything pretty soon you'll get to the point where everyday is a seamless mix of WORK - SCA - BED with no time for anything else.

Well, that's all the advice I can offer. Who knows, one day I might even follow some of it myself :) Then I might be able to spend more time on the blog!

Until next time,

Bechtold (the perpetually overwhelmed)