Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Work/Life/Balance

Hello hello!  I can't believe that it is Mid May and that end the of the school year is right around the corner.

When I think of the days and weeks that have flown by I can't help but feel just a tad nervous.  How could the world be moving so fast?

I have always been what you can call a worker bee,..I like being busy!  I thrive on the hustle and bustle of things..I work better when I am juggling..with all of that being said I can't help but thinking am I missing something else?

I think all of this started after Mother's Day, I took the weekend OFF! Can you all believe that?  I took a break from Etsy, from the shop,..from the emails and from the constant hustle and bustle of it all..it was bliss but then towards Sunday evening I was starting to feel a bit restless and then the overwhelming feeling hit..I had ALOT to catch up on!  Orders needed to be filled, emails needed responding to, my weekly household chores needed to get done and grocery shopping needed to happen.

In between getting ready for the week on Monday I was practicing my speech.  I had been asked back in April to share my success story at a luncheon..while I agreed and thought I would be OK..I knew that it was going to be tough..I like working behind the scenes, organizing is one of my strongest qualities but standing up in front of a group of folks is not only terrifying but makes me physically sick. I started typing up my speech the Friday before..wouldn't you know it, I broke out in hives just thinking of it all?

Tuesday morning came all to fast, I was trying desperately to keep it together.  The time came for me to give my speech, I walked up and then poof!  Everything I wanted to say was jumbled in my mind..I started off by reading my speech but knew that was not the direction to go..so I started talking..I forgot half of what I wanted to say..I skimmed over details and just flew by the seat of my pants.. as I finished talking I couldn't help but feel like I was missing something..I had forgotten so many details..that night as I tossed and turned I kept re-hashing what I should have said..if only  I would have said this..and that..and and and...do you every do that?

I finally decided that I did OK, while I did not give an exceptional speech, I was OK..not perfect but just OK.  I can live with that.

I felt like that little mouse in the book, "If you give a mouse a cookie" the part that I love the most is..if you give a mouse a cookie then he is going to want a glass of milk to go with it..then he's going to want...

In preparing for my speech, I pulled a few stats together. I had over 437 sales online in ONE year!

I started asking myself, "do I have a work life balance?"  I had heard about this awhile back, while it stuck in my mind, I had never really given it much thought..but while I was enjoying my days off with my family I had time to think about it, no I do not live a perfectly balanced life.  I do the best that I can..yes I do work quite a bit, yes I do spend time with my family..yes I do spend time with my husband but it is certainly not balanced.  Some days I work longer hours, working late into the evenings, or in the wee hours of the morning, then there are other days when I am in full mommy mode.  I am in the thick of running kiddos back and forth to events...our daughter has had a minimum of 3 after school events for the last 3 weeks.  While my family is and will always been my first priority, my business is such a huge part of my life.

I guess what I am wondering is, is it really possible to have such a thing as a Work/Life/Balance? hmmm?  I would love to hear what others think.