I haven’t had time for a “real” post in the last 2 weeks because of how busy work has been but this quote really spoke to me today.
It’s very true for me that when life gets too busy, it becomes barren, void of real connection and meaning. I’m spending so much time lately just “doing things,” that I’m not engaging with people.
I know that I need to find a balance but I’ve always found the dance between serving clients for work and taking care of my family to be a difficult one. And then sometimes the “taking care of family” time turns out to be nothing but accomplishing chores like grocery shopping, taking the kids here and there, cooking and cleaning, so nothing of true substance is shared between all of us as we go about our daily activities.
So because I’m a list maker, here’s my list of what I intend to do to shift the balance, and create some deeper meaning during these first 6 months of the year when I’m traditionally so busy with work projects.
I resolve to:
- Shut down the office at 5 (6:00 PM at the very latest). I have lots of West Coast contacts for my job, so this is tough, but I’m going to be adamant with them that just because they work ’til 9:00 PM EST (6:00 PM PST), doesn’t mean that I do. If I can get this under control it will make the biggest difference of all.
- Only go on social media early in the a.m. and late in the p.m. after all else is done so that I can focus my efforts to get work done during the day, and allow myself time to spend with the kids and hubby at night.
- Take a short walk with the dog each day so that I get out into the fresh air, now that spring seems to finally be coming to New Jersey (yay!).
- Eat healthily so that I’ll have the energy I need to get everything accomplished. Just started “Eat for Life” and am loving it. Have wanted to be a vegetarian for a long time, this particular program is working for me really well, and pretty easily. More about it when I have time to write a longer post about it.
- Stop drinking coffee in the afternoons. When I get tired or hit my 3:00 PM “I need a pick-me-up,” I’ve been having coffee which then in turn makes me really hyper and anxious. So, no coffee, just decaf or herbal teas.
- Go to all of my son’s baseball games. The fresh air and time with the other baseball moms will provide a good break from my craziness of work, and will let my son know how important his games are to me (even though watching a baseball game is about as exciting as watching paint dry, to me).
- Squeeze in time with family and friends. This weekend I’m going into the city to see an exhibit with old friends from college. Last weekend I went in for a college orientation with my daughter and it was great, very reassuring to see how organized and supportive her college is.
- Take a deep breath every time my clients change their plans. That’s the hardest for me, as I’m juggling so many things and they keep updating, shifting and changing their priorities. But, remember that I work from home and so when this happens, I get to take a deep breath, hold the phone away from my ear for a second and remain calm. I’m working on this one every day!
If I can stick to all of these I know that I’d really see a noticeable difference. Let’s see how I do.
How about you? Has this spring been hectic for you? I’m seeing a lot of comments on Facebook lately about how busy everyone is, am thinking it might be the time of year.
Looks like a great list to me! I too really need to be off social media at some point during the day! 😀
I know, it’s so hard to stop checking Facebook and twitter….and now there’s Google+ to also check in on! It can be a big time drain for me. Thank you for reading and commenting!
Great list! I need to be better about reducing social media time….
Thanks, Sarah! I love your blog, by the way.
Scheduling social media time sounds like a good idea. When I was a full time lawyer, it was really difficult to balance work and home life. At least there was no social media then
😉
Yes, social media can be a big time drain. And for me with work, periodically I just need to remind myself to create boundaries, and that it’s within my control to turn things off at the end of the day. Thanks for stopping by!
Great list! You remind me I need to call it quits at a certain time. The paperwork will be there for me the next day. Many days I am so stressed from the day I fight just to get 30 minutes of exercise in any form
Yes, the paper will always be there the next day, right? 🙂 So good that you keep up with exercising each day – congratulations! That’s an accomplishment right there.
Wonderful post! I’ve made a note of every point on your list. With the exception of caffeine (not a coffee-drinker) I will use every one! Thank you!
Thanks, Diane! I’ve been pretty good so far today….just taking a break during lunch to answer my comments (something I love to do, so it’s a treat for me that I look forward to).
Hi Claudia,
It’s hard to get to everything isn’t it? Awesome quote/image and awesome list you have there. Good luck sticking to it. That’s the challenging part, right?
Hi Nancy,
Yes, this has been a really busy time of year for me and I’m so sick of sitting at my computer for so many hours every day. Need to get a sense of balance back. So far, I’m doing pretty well. Let’s see how long I can keep it going!
I completely relate! I, too, am working with a West Coast company… mind if I steal part of your list?
Seems like the last 6 months have been hectic for me; gonna follow some of those steps on your list. Except the vegetarian one-sorry, Cubans don’t do vegetarian. ; ) BB2U
No need to do the vegetarian thing, it’s just a personal thing for me, I’ve always wanted to try it and lately I’m just not into eating meat. Hope these help you, so far it’s helping me and I’m almost a week in.
It all starts with the goals. And spring/summer are such great months! Good for you. Do it!
So far it’s working for me. I’m online a bit less, and getting outside more which is so nice now that the spring weather has finally come to NJ.