...Finding balance...

Ever feel so swamped and overwhelmed with tasks that you feel like you'll never catch up?  I moved from career mom to stay at home and work from home mommy.  I love what I do, working as a coordinator for Mommy Bag Marketing, Inc. (http://www.mommybagmarketing.com/) This transition has caused me to re-evaluate how I spend my days and balance being a supportive wife and mom, business owner, and still get in exercise and the activities I enjoy like writing or reading. I am not a perfect keeper of my schedule, but when a curve ball is thrown at me, I can still manage to get a base hit. Or as my husband says, "Roll with the punches."

Below are some of the techniques I have used to help me find a bit of sanity in a world of a husband, five kids, two dogs, and a business in its infant stages.

1. Let go of controlling the things you cannot control.  'It' will happen, you can't control it, so just "roll with the punches"!
2.  Don't forget to make and take time for you each day.  Write it in your schedule  if you have to! Enjoy a warm bath, read a chapter in your favorite book with some  hot tea, go for a walk or run. In addition to you, take some time to spend with your family.  Designate a game night, sit down to a meal together.  I have made a goal to sit down at least four nights a week, as a family, for dinner.  You will notice a difference in your family when you're able to stop, relax, and just spend some time with them.
3. Write down a daily schedule and stick to it.  What are the Six Most Important Things you have to get done on any given day?  Write them down, then schedule time for yourself to get them done. Once you've accomplished each of these, cross it out.  Crossing out a task in itself creates a sense of accomplishment, and when the end of the day comes and you feel as though you didn't accomplish all that you wanted to, look at that list of six things that you crossed off.  You'll instantly feel better!
4. Plan your errands.  We are all in a gas money pinch these days.  If you know that you have to make multiple stops, organize them in a big circle so that your trip is most efficient and timely.
5. Involve your family in your tasks and delegate them.  I have a four year old who stays home with me while I work. He loves my work and is always eager to get involved, so I give him age appropriate tasks. All of my children have age appropriate chores around the house. They have been taught how to do the chores.  Now, they may not be completely done to my standard, but if I know they have put in 100% and done the best they know how.  Then I am okay with that!  My step-son and step-daughter even take a night to cook dinner. We have ended up with some interesting meals, to make some great stories in the future!  The bottom line, your kids are learning responsibility and some basic domestic skills that they will need when they are on their own.
6. Don't be afraid to ask for help.  I struggle with this, but I am getting better. When my plate just gets too full, I start asking for help where I need it. I guarantee there are at least a handfull of people in your life that are eagerly awaiting a phone call asking for help.  What's even better, they would gladly help any time without wanting a return favor.
7. It's okay to say 'No'.  When you know you have a packed schedule already, with even more than SuperWoman can handle.  Say No, and you don't even have to justify your response.  There is power in being able to say No.  It's almost even liberating.  I have had to say 'no' recently, and it made me feel like I gained a few precious hours back in my schedule!
8. Set your goals, and your steps along with deadlines for getting there.  Setting goals will make scheduling your days and weeks easier, because you have an objective in mind.  Each day is your vehicle for getting there!
9. Get organized.  I am almost too organized to a fault.  I really dislike clutter, so I have decluttered which helps the organizing process!  Find a system that works for you in both your home and your home office.  The system I set up, doesn't just work for me, it works for my family.  I have pulled ideas from various articles, modified them to fit my family's needs, and implemented them.  It all works like a charm, and makes life less insane.
10. The most important, every day, when you get up, before you do anything else.  Give God your day. Spend a few minutes in prayer and in His word.  Recognize that each day is a new day, no matter what is on your agenda for the day, and make it a great day!

There are no secrets to finding balance. However, finding what works for you through some of the strategies I've mentioend will help you accomplish the goals you set out to achieve daily, weekly, and beyond. Perhaps there are some strategies that you have utilized that I have not mentioned, I would love to hear about them! As our kids grow, lifestyles change, there may be a need for a new strategy that fits better in a particular season.  Don't be afraid to try, try, try again.  Most important, be open-minded and don't give up! Life is a highway of fast-moving cars, we are merely trying to keep up. When the lanes of fast moving cars can move harmoniously together, things will go much more smoothly for you. Cheers in your efforts to find balance!

Don't forget...

Be Yourself, Be Extraordinary, Dream Big!

~Stacey