In the Off Season I...

[Morticia]

If this is your 'down time' season, what are you doing to stay focused on the coming high season? Are you relaxing, updating the website, making changes to the rooms? What keeps your eye on the prize?

 

[MTLLodge]

All of the above! )

 

[muirford]

Vacationing right now - when we get home, inside chores (fixing up the powder room, and maybe we'll finally paint our own bedroom).

 

[Morticia]

All of the above! ).

All of the above! )

How do you keep focused and not just blow off the chores?

 

[gillumhouse]

For me, this is the time of the trips to the Capitol, Conferences, putting together the services & program for the Lenten Services and (since I am Prez) attending, this year running the City Election, doing training classes, writing articles, choosing advertisig, and trying to get thru the off season with little or no in-bound but even more out-bound from the bank account.
My daughter told me she is coming in for her birthday to go to some Cub games (we will go to one with them) and we are going to talk about her "doing" 2 of my rooms for the 40s crowd - paint & decor.
BTW - 2 of my "almost 40" kids tell me that iPod docking stations are not reqiuired because people who have the iPods etc have their own.

 

[EmptyNest]

For me, this is the time of the trips to the Capitol, Conferences, putting together the services & program for the Lenten Services and (since I am Prez) attending, this year running the City Election, doing training classes, writing articles, choosing advertisig, and trying to get thru the off season with little or no in-bound but even more out-bound from the bank account.
My daughter told me she is coming in for her birthday to go to some Cub games (we will go to one with them) and we are going to talk about her "doing" 2 of my rooms for the 40s crowd - paint & decor.
BTW - 2 of my "almost 40" kids tell me that iPod docking stations are not reqiuired because people who have the iPods etc have their own..

I don't take my docking station with me...don't need it......just my earphones..that's all i need. I do take my charger with me so I can keep it going.It's very small and fits in my travel bag easily. My new IPOD won't even charge on my old docking station ..but it will play...:-( OH well.

 

[JBloggs]

For me, this is the time of the trips to the Capitol, Conferences, putting together the services & program for the Lenten Services and (since I am Prez) attending, this year running the City Election, doing training classes, writing articles, choosing advertisig, and trying to get thru the off season with little or no in-bound but even more out-bound from the bank account.
My daughter told me she is coming in for her birthday to go to some Cub games (we will go to one with them) and we are going to talk about her "doing" 2 of my rooms for the 40s crowd - paint & decor.
BTW - 2 of my "almost 40" kids tell me that iPod docking stations are not reqiuired because people who have the iPods etc have their own..

BTW - 2 of my "almost 40" kids tell me that iPod docking stations are not reqiuired because people who have the iPods etc have their own.

Not required? Do they stay at B&B's often? BTW I got them for the under 30 crowd, not the 40 crowd. Just to clarify.
We have had our guests using the docking stations here. Not saying they are the same guests you would have there or any where else. Plenty have car chargers and headphones and don't travel with docking stations, but we have had guests use them. In fact, I was nervous thinking if they leave anything behind in the room it would be their ipod sitting on the docking station.
We have them personally and do not travel with speakers.

 

[Baygirl]

Enjoying every minute..as much as I can anyway.. We usually start our TO DO list in April.. Although the checking account gets a little slim around this time I still enjoy having the whole house to ourselves.

 

[JBloggs]

There is no need to stay focused I am doing the same thing I always do, just less room cleaning and less yard work this time of year! Spent 2 hours chatting with lovely guests today.

 

[gillumhouse]

For me, this is the time of the trips to the Capitol, Conferences, putting together the services & program for the Lenten Services and (since I am Prez) attending, this year running the City Election, doing training classes, writing articles, choosing advertisig, and trying to get thru the off season with little or no in-bound but even more out-bound from the bank account.
My daughter told me she is coming in for her birthday to go to some Cub games (we will go to one with them) and we are going to talk about her "doing" 2 of my rooms for the 40s crowd - paint & decor.
BTW - 2 of my "almost 40" kids tell me that iPod docking stations are not reqiuired because people who have the iPods etc have their own..

BTW - 2 of my "almost 40" kids tell me that iPod docking stations are not reqiuired because people who have the iPods etc have their own.

Not required? Do they stay at B&B's often? BTW I got them for the under 30 crowd, not the 40 crowd. Just to clarify.
We have had our guests using the docking stations here. Not saying they are the same guests you would have there or any where else. Plenty have car chargers and headphones and don't travel with docking stations, but we have had guests use them. In fact, I was nervous thinking if they leave anything behind in the room it would be their ipod sitting on the docking station.
We have them personally and do not travel with speakers.
.

See, that is why I posted it. To get comments on how often they are used BEFORE I invest my paltry $$. I guess I will be getting them.

 

[seashanty]

something i did before the start of each season was to stay in each room ... as a guest ... get a real feel for it. bringing my personal things in and not going to my real room for anything during my 'stay'. this led to my switching the positions of the desk and the wing chairs in one room, changing placement of mirrors, adding shelf space in bathrooms, changing lighting. there were a couple rooms i didn't WANT to stay in ... the small rooms on the third floor ... and i spent a lot of time in there trying to figure out how to make them more inviting.
i also walked around with a camera and took pictures of the rooms, and minute movies. somehow, viewing the rooms (or any space) this way gives me a detached more objective perspective.
ps the idea of staying in the rooms is something i learned from this forum.

 

[Morticia]

something i did before the start of each season was to stay in each room ... as a guest ... get a real feel for it. bringing my personal things in and not going to my real room for anything during my 'stay'. this led to my switching the positions of the desk and the wing chairs in one room, changing placement of mirrors, adding shelf space in bathrooms, changing lighting. there were a couple rooms i didn't WANT to stay in ... the small rooms on the third floor ... and i spent a lot of time in there trying to figure out how to make them more inviting.
i also walked around with a camera and took pictures of the rooms, and minute movies. somehow, viewing the rooms (or any space) this way gives me a detached more objective perspective.
ps the idea of staying in the rooms is something i learned from this forum..

Great idea.

 

[Morticia]

I guess what I'm wondering is if I'm the only one who has a list as long as my arm and who stares out the window all day? If you're like me, how do you motivate yourself?

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

I guess what I'm wondering is if I'm the only one who has a list as long as my arm and who stares out the window all day? If you're like me, how do you motivate yourself?.

One thing I do is allow myself those days when doing nothing is okay. Staring out the window? A luxury to be refined, not feared.
That said, how I motivate myself to keep those days from taking over and actually getting through the list is a pretty simple method.
Like you, I have a list a mile long. It can be overwhelming to tackle it at all. So I break it down and prioritize everything on the list, to things I need to do ASAP, things I need to do sometime, and things I'd just like to do.
Every morning I have a cup of coffee and a just few quiet minutes before dealing with anyone or anything and I take a look at that list. And I prioritize which, if any, of those things I'm going to tackle today.
If I only decide to tackle one extra 15-minute task, I still feel all woohoo when I get it done. I know the rest of the list will be there tomorrow. Or the next day. But that's okay. Even if I get one little tiny task done, the list is shrinking and my feeling of accomplishment is growing. That's a good day, in my book.
Basically my method is to just take it one tiny thing at a time and not worry about all the rest.
It works for me.

 

[gillumhouse]

I guess what I'm wondering is if I'm the only one who has a list as long as my arm and who stares out the window all day? If you're like me, how do you motivate yourself?.

My staring out the window is Spider Free Cell. I am a Champion Procrastinator!!!

 

[Mini]

We also are trying out all the rooms (it is fun) and we now have a list of things to change in each of them.
I'm actually spending my days watching my husband finish his renovations which I pray will be finished before the rush begins. I wish it were busier now but I should realize it will get busier. We seem to have a week coming up of one guest room each night. Why can't they all be the same night?
Every year at this time I wonder if one of us should go out and get another job, then May comes and I wonder what I was thinking.

 

[MTLLodge]

This is the first time in over 3 years where I have less to do. (construction the last 3 years) I'm looking forward to this new business, that is what keeps me going. I wanted this for over 20 years. Let the fun begain!

 

[Morticia]

We also are trying out all the rooms (it is fun) and we now have a list of things to change in each of them.
I'm actually spending my days watching my husband finish his renovations which I pray will be finished before the rush begins. I wish it were busier now but I should realize it will get busier. We seem to have a week coming up of one guest room each night. Why can't they all be the same night?
Every year at this time I wonder if one of us should go out and get another job, then May comes and I wonder what I was thinking..

Every year at this time I wonder if one of us should go out and get another job, then May comes and I wonder what I was thinking.

I think this in Nov and then realize in May it wouldn't work! But, those are long, lean months in between.

 

[Don Draper]

I guess what I'm wondering is if I'm the only one who has a list as long as my arm and who stares out the window all day? If you're like me, how do you motivate yourself?.

My dear Mort you are most certainly not alone! Try to remember that you are in fact, *gasp* a human being who not only deserves but physically needs some true DOWN time...that means doing absolutely nothing.
If you need a rationale, look at it this way:
A person working a normal 9 to 5 job gets two days per week off, plus about 5 holidays/year, plus say 10 days vacation. That equals 119 days/year off. PLUS typically 1-2 hours/day when they are not working/cleaning/sleeping/whatever. Just OFF time.
For how many months of the year do you get NONE of that? Day after day of 18 hour work days with no time for yourself, no chance to sleep in, no change to just relax and be yourself...no time even for comfy clothes for heaven's sake!
You will always have a to do list, you won't always have these wonderful days when you can just BE. Enjoy it while it lasts!

 

[Morticia]

I guess what I'm wondering is if I'm the only one who has a list as long as my arm and who stares out the window all day? If you're like me, how do you motivate yourself?.

My dear Mort you are most certainly not alone! Try to remember that you are in fact, *gasp* a human being who not only deserves but physically needs some true DOWN time...that means doing absolutely nothing.
If you need a rationale, look at it this way:
A person working a normal 9 to 5 job gets two days per week off, plus about 5 holidays/year, plus say 10 days vacation. That equals 119 days/year off. PLUS typically 1-2 hours/day when they are not working/cleaning/sleeping/whatever. Just OFF time.
For how many months of the year do you get NONE of that? Day after day of 18 hour work days with no time for yourself, no chance to sleep in, no change to just relax and be yourself...no time even for comfy clothes for heaven's sake!
You will always have a to do list, you won't always have these wonderful days when you can just BE. Enjoy it while it lasts!
.

I have no real problem taking time off. The real problem is getting any work done when I'd rather be outside driving around or going to the beach! So, for the slow times, I'm wondering how anyone gets themselves on a schedule so they actually do the stuff that needs doing when it's slow!
Like right now I have to make pillow shams. And have had to make them now for 3 months. Not getting done. Once I start, I'll finish them. But, I'd rather sit here and chat all day.
Every job is like that.