the way I find balance

I've been thinking a lot about how I balance family and work. I try not to be too hard on myself, about not getting it all done, but some days it's easier said than done. This summer it seems I'm leaning towards staying away from the internet and quietly working behind the scenes.

Working from home makes it more difficult to draw the lines between the two worlds. I don't have an office that I can drive away from every day. It's more noticeable during the summer when the kids and I are together all day long. Maybe that's why it's on my mind lately.

wip

I'm always curious to read about how others handle the balancing act so I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on this. Here's is my coping list:

1. It doesn't have to be perfect. Let's face it some days, things are just crazy and I barely make it through a 24 hour period. As long as we make it all across in one piece and are well fed, so be it.

2. Remember that the to-do list is a friend—a big one. I'll admit that many days I simply forget to check my list throughout the day (sounds silly but it's, sadly, very true). And yes, it throws me completely off. The days I get to check everything off my list I feel worthy of a parade.

3. Be flexible. Take the day (or season) as it comes. This is when the to-do list gets whittled down to what absolutely needs to get done vs. what I had hoped to accomplish during the day.

4. Carve out some personal alone time every day. Even if it's just a few minutes during the day or when everyone is asleep I always make it a point to do something for myself. I'm not picky so, leisurely flipping through the pages of a magazine with a cup of coffee in hand is all I need on some days. Other times a crafty project, like this blanket I started over the weekend, does the trick.

Last but certainly not least...

5. Make room for gratitude every day. As messy as the house may seem, as much work as may be in queue, as many errands as I may need to run, the fact is that I do have a lot more than many.

So there you have it. My short version of how I make it through the day. Now if I can discover a way to keep up with the exercise routine (that we started this weekend) I'll have it made.

wip

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