Irons in the fire. I’m guessing that figure of speech comes from blacksmithing – having more than one project in process, to keep working while another ‘iron’ heats back up to temp.
Juggling and keeping thing in the air are two other metaphors that come to mind. There is always one more thing coming at you that demands attention – and often before the first one is out of sight. Many times there are multiple objects being thrown your way for you to catch and incorporate.
It seems that what I do most is check the calendar. Making sure I’m not over scheduling things. Making sure I’m in town. Making sure there will be enough time, not to mention energy, between events to get it all done. Making sure nothing gets lost or dropped or forgotten. Heaven forbid that I decline anything!
Anyway, my calendar is filling with lots of different activities and commitments.
On this cold day in January, I’ll go with the irons in the fire metaphor – at least it is a warm one.