Tiny Living: nice and quiet?

Um. Wasn’t more time and more peace one of the reasons for living in a Tiny House? You wouldn’t say that now. I’ve started working for myself full-time since November 1^st, and as a start-up you need to invest a lot of time in your business. Lately I’ve been working just about 7 days a week, including tasks for Tiny House Nederland and all the projects I’ve been working on. And when I was still in a paid job, I worked 4 days a week.

It made me a little stressed out. I was tired and not very productive. After I got some advice, I decided I needed to take a day off every now and then: a big red cross in the day planner to simply do what I want to do. Without that I’ll just keep making appointments. I also need to create a certain structure in my work, instead of doing everything all day long: e-mail, Facebook, workshop administration, Tiny House Nederland, appointments…especially the mailbox is giving me problems. I get a bizarre amount of e-mails every day and there’s no way I can answer every one of them personally. I already have a standard e-mail with links to online information, but I’ve noticed that I hesitate to use it. It feels like I’m fobbing people off with a standard e-mail, when they’re making an effort to write me a personal e-mail. But I have no choice, unless I want to spend my entire day answering e-mails. That can’t be the idea, right? I’ve also made the decision to check my e-mails on set times instead of the whole day through. I failed at it again today, so I need to work a little harder at that. It’s said to be one of the tips from the bestseller ‘7 habits of highly efficient people’, so you would think it works.

I don’t want to just complain. I get to do so many fun things like give presentations about the Tiny house movement throughout the country, together with my good friend Monique van Orden. There is always a big turnout and it’s great to see so much excitement! It’s one of the things that gives me positive energy. Like last week when we were in Midden-Delfland and Venray, and the week before that, in Tilburg. The workshops are so much fun to do. Last Saturday we gave a workshop in Heerlen, to a bunch of super-excited people. But what a long way to drive! Monique picked me up at 6 a.m. and I got home at 8 p.m. Those days are pretty long, I can tell you.

This Wednesday I was part of a meeting for the prizewinners of the BouwEXPO Tiny Housing in Almere, which was super educational, not least because there was an expert there who knows a lot about the buildings decree. This morning I gave a lecture to students of the Windesheim College in Almere, including a ‘tour’ of my house. I mean, who has a more varied job than me?

For the moment I’ve crossed off Tuesdays and Sundays in my agenda. That’s when I do just what I feel like doing, like spending the afternoon in the kitchen making healthy lunches or breakfasts, or just crashing on the couch with a good book. And when spring arrives, I’ll spend time in the garden of course. I love it, I enjoy it so much! Yesterday it was really nice on the porch in the sun; I sat outside without my coat for a while and it was fine. And it’s only February. It really got me in the mood for a good cleaning – call it a spring cleaning. There’s always something to do in and around the house. Tonight, there’s a meeting for Tiny House Nederland, and then it’s me-time. It’s all about balance and, mark my words, this year I’m going to find it.

I’m secretly already planning a vacation as well. I’m not sure if it will all work out financially, but I would like to take a car to the South of England. Low budget, camping and couch-surfing. Planning everything is half the fun, so let’s have it. Give me your tips. What do I need to see in the South of England?