Summer is here!!
That means lots of sunshine, pool time, and a break from homework and routines!! Yay!
It also means long days filled with requests for rides and meals, late nights, and endless streams of teenagers eating me out of house and home. Yay?
Gone are the 8 hours of quiet and a clean house and my structured productivity…
Here are the endless hours of the TV being on, the constant distraction of my lovely children needing and wanting things from me, and the temptation to sleep in everyday and put everything off until they go back to school:)
Don’t get me wrong.
I LOVE my kids.
Like more than anything.
And I love hanging out with them and taking them places and feeding them.
But I also thrive when I am taking good care of myself and working hard.
Therein lies the conundrum of summer…
How do I practice self-care (prioritize my physical, mental, and emotional health) and continue to build my business through the summer, while caring for my children and their needs?
The answer is by both saying yes…
And saying no.
Saying yes to getting up and getting my workout in…
And saying no to sleeping in like my kids.
Saying yes to anything they want and need on flex days…
And saying no to anything except work during my scheduled office days…
Saying yes to having friends over late and ordering pizza for all of them…
Saying no to that 2 days in a row:)
Planning ahead, making and keeping commitments, and living by my schedule is the way I stay productive and balanced during the school year.
The same basic strategy applies to the summer.
Now that my kids are older, I have the opportunity to be an example of keeping that balance between time for taking care of me, and time for others.
Sacrificing a little fun (not laying by the pool all day, everyday)…
For the satisfaction and fulfillment of hard work.
Sacrificing a little sleep…
For a good workout.
Sacrificing a little time with them…
For a little recharge of alone time with me.
When my cup is filled…
I have so much more to give!!
Balance.
It all begins with a thought!
