Also known as juggling.
I have been working very hard on having better balance between my personal life and my work. I have shifted into work that allows some flexibility, I am here to make dinner and spend time with my family, I am investing time in my own growth and development, and I try to make sure that I am really present when I need to be.
But, there are days when it still feels like I am being pulled in too many directions. So, I have spent some time thinking about what are the common threads between the days when I feel like everything is humming along and the days when I stop and think I just need a nap.
Here are my most common mistakes when it comes to keeping my life in balance.
- Not using my calendar. I actually have to use multiple calendars to make sure that I keep everything straight. When I write something in my planner and it doesn’t make it into my phone, that’s a sure sign that I am going to forget. The planner allows me a different visual layout of my time, so I struggle without it, but keeping multiple calendars definitely gets me in trouble.
- Double-booking. See previous bullet. Double booking happens when I get the calendars together and realize that I screwed up and scheduled something else during another event. This most often happens with appointments like doctors, dentists, counseling, or anything else that is scheduled out in advance.
- Underestimating time. Have you ever noticed the time vortext that exists between leaving your desk and getting to your car? It’s at least 10 minutes that just disappears. And as a result, you are late. Just about always.
- Worrying about my anxiety. Right. That should be a no-brainer, but it is much harder than it sounds. And worrying about worrying leads to worrying about whether I am feeling anxious or having a heart attack. Then that leads to worrying about not having a will. Well, you can see how this is the opposite of having balance in my life.
- Hitting snooze. Hitting snooze is the worst thing I can do for my morning routine. Every time I think, “Just five more minutes,” I take away about thirty minutes of self-care. Wouldn’t it be better for me to just go to bed thirty minutes earlier? Yes. Yes, it would.
I’m sure I am not the only one who struggles with these things (well, if I am, just don’t tell me, okay?). My image of adulting is so different from my actual adulting efforts, but the thing that I keep reminding myself is that I am making efforts. Every day, I try to bring the best version of myself that I can. I am imperfect. I am healing. And I am showing up every day with intention.
So, if you are in much the same place, know that you are not alone. And feel free to reach out for support.
Helpful to read of the redundancies you build into your planning. Far too often, I rely on my (highly suspect) ability to keep such things sorted in my head. It’s a conceit that I really need to work on understanding, and with a more concerted effort, one that I need to put away.
I’m glad to be able to know, through your writing, that you are consciously focused on being the best person you can be.
It’s inspiring, Carin.
Thank you.