Category: time management

The Beauty of Doing Nothing

This post may seem like a a counter intuitive post, but let’s talk for a moment about the beauty, and even importance, of doing nothing. 

Modern society tells us in order to be successful we have to work nonstop. Taking breaks are signs of weakness. But I’m saying forget all that. When we need to take breaks, we need to take real breaks. And that doesn’t mean going on your phone and social media for half an hour. I’m talking about unplugging. Doing absolutely nothing. 

I just woke up from a long and unexpected nap and I don’t feel the least bit guilty about it. Yes, I have lots of work to catch up on, but without stopping when it is needed, we are much more likely to burn out; and then comes the crash and burn. 

Busy work can be done even when tired and burnt out. But if you are looking to go beyond busy work and past the rat race, you need as much of yourself as possible to be able to create that. Your well cannot be empty. Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of doing nothing to fill it up. 

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4-18-17 Don’t Get Stuck on Stupid

It’s easy in this day and age of social media, especially Facebook, with so much news and information, real or fake, good or bad, helpful or distracting, to get stuck on stupid. There is just too much information that streams through while you are supposedly “keeping in touch” with people via social media. What you often keep in touch with is an overload of information, an overload of negative news and then with that, an overload of anxiety and stressful thoughts. It’s easy to get stuck and feel mentally paralyzed in fear, anger, or numbness. 

Try to be mindful of how much time you spend allowing yourself to be open to so much information. I have this bad habit as well. As if I need to fill my head with more negativity! I’ve just recently learned to throw out negative thoughts that constantly stream into my mind for no good reason! The last thing I need is more fuel for them! 

Whatever you see or hear, process what you’re feeling, but don’t get stuck. Stay focused, move forward, push on, and if possible, take action for or against what has you potentially stuck, especially if it can help in a positive way. 

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3-22-17 Everyday Celebrations

What if you made every little thing you do a celebration? Every boring, menial task…make it a mini celebration, in some way. This applies especially to tasks that often feel hurried. Slow it down where you can. Take an opportunity to have a meal or coffee with a friend before or after the task, sing loudly along to your favorite music on the car ride there. On some level, in some way, celebrate the things you have to do, because that means you are alive. It means you are succeeding at being a human.

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3-21-18 Chipping Away

Quick thought this morning about how slowly and quickly time passes. It often seems slow, so after we come home from the work day with an already tired mindset, we’ve given up for the day. It’s easy to fall into the slump of thinking that the day is over. To plop down and watch television (especially when there is so much to binge watch!), until it’s time to go to sleep. Then once in bed, when sleep should be priority, many people begin the cycle of being on their cell phone, “wrapping up” their social media for the day-completely disregarding how light from their phone has been proven to disrupt sleep patterns and circadian rhythms.

There comes a point when you realize how much time has passed with this exact pattern. Years go by, and those personal goals we have on the back burner, seem to never get done. This is why it’s important to chip away at them, now-monthly, weekly, daily. We are always waiting to set aside these large chunks of time that we find we never have. I know I’ve been guilty of this. Looking for some grandiose weekend to really start getting things done. This empty, long weekend never comes. 

So what projects, goals, passions, ambitions have you been putting off? Start chipping away at them today! I know I have finally started, bit by bit, and I can feel the changes being put into place. Just gotta keep chipping away. 

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3-19-17 Sunday Funday

Sunday Funday. In the not so far off past, I would dread The work week so badly that I wouldn’t even enjoy my Sundays. All of Sunday from the minute in wake up to the minutes I’d toss and turn trying to get in a decent night’s sleep before the alarm rang, I would be dreading what was the inevitable. Why? Honestly, ritual. Bad habits. Obsessive, negative thinking. Guess what? The weekend seems longer when you actually don’t dread or think about the day job. Monday will still be Monday whether you spend the day before actually savoring the Sunday, or wasting away the hours of thinking about Monday. Hope you all aren’t this bad, but for those of you who are, it’s definitely something I urge you to consider. 

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Field Trip Work Day

Sometimes Carlos goes on field trips for work. Today was one of those days. I was able to work mostly on my phone this afternoon, so the baby and I got to go with him. What a beautiful drive it was to Malibu. We drove on PCH, and because it’s still winter, the road was empty, just like the car commercials depict that are filmed there. Here are a few pictures from our trip:
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The view from where we ate lunch, Cholada on PCH.
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Look at that water!
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Daddy and baby. 🙂
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Ah…home sweet home.

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A WAHM’s work is never done!

There are pros and cons to being a work at home mom. Being able to be with my kids almost 24/7 is extremely rewarding. I am very thankful for the opportunities given to me to be able to do this. That being said, sometimes I feel like I never get a break. I don’t go to work and focus only on my job. I don’t have the luxury of being able to focus only on cooking and cleaning and the kids. It’s a constant juggle of working, parenting and housework. There are no time constraints and kids don’t generally get the idea that if mommy is working, she needs to focus and doesn’t need to hear about Finn and Jake right at that moment.

Right now my stubborn toddler is refusing to fall asleep as I’m trying to nurse him. I have a dirty kitchen and need to put food away, pack my husband’s lunch and wash the dishes. I have a full dryer and full washer that need to be switched out and clothes that need to be folded. I need to write up 4 more SEO blogs, take care of some custom tattoo requests and schedule at least 24 Facebook posts. I don’t know what time Rocky will fall asleep, but no matter how late it is, I still have to take care of the things listed above, even if I’m up until 3 am. And forget sleeping in, I wake up however early the baby wakes up to nurse–and I have work in the morning, so I need to be online. For those who think being a work at home mom is a breeze, it definitely is NOT! But I love it anyway (even if it drives me nuts half the time).

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Not Enough Hours in the Day

Today I woke up in a great mood, ready to get crackin on everything on my to do list. I even started by washing the dishes. Because there were enough for 3 dishwashers full, I only got through one batch (and we DON’T have a dishwasher, unless you count me). The baby was extremely clingy today and wanted to do nothing but nurse. But I persisted and got some work done. Then I looked at the clock. Way more time passed than I realized and I had to go turn in overdue library books, pay the overdue water bill, take a trunkful of old stuff to the thrift store and boost morale in the house because the kids just looked sad with cabin fever today. So i figured I’d take them to lunch, since that was overdue, too. So we got everything ready and the kids got into the car while I tried to pay the water bill online. No go. My old computer’s Internet stopped working and I had the acct number and pin saved on that one. My main working computer needed the information I had saved on the other one and I don’t have that written down anywhere. So I say forget it. I’ll deal with it when I get back. Meet the kids at the car and turn the key. My car battery is dead! Still feeling optimistic, I say, let’s walk to get something to eat and go to the store (we were completely out of toilet paper, trash bags, kitty litter and cat food). Not even halfway there, one of the kids (won’t say which one, in case that kid reads this blog one day) has an episode that lasts the whole lunch, store visit and into coming home. Surprise! It’s already late! And I got only a fraction done of what I wanted. I didn’t cook dinner. I had to spend money to get food tonight. Not fast food though, but really good and healthy Lebanese food from our neighborhood market. Spent about the same as I would have at a fast food place. Still had to catch up on work and it’s now nearly midnight and I’m nursing a toddler who falls asleep with teeth clenched (you know where) and still thinking about that unpaid water bill. Guess I’ll have to call the bill in in the morning. Oh yeah, and thank goodness for triple A. I’ll need to call them in the morning, too. Hopefully at some point I can get some work and cleaning in. I will definitely have to delegate tomorrow. Sorry kiddos!

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