J is for Juggling

As promised last week… drum roll please…. J is for Juggling! This is the latest challenge for Lottie’s Fantabulous Finishing School. (It’s still not too late to join in the fun, and it is extremely rewarding!). The challenge : “You must make YOU the priority for one week. Give up something and spend at least 30 minutes of that time, each day, for a week, doing something you enjoy“

If I was given this challenge the same time last year you would have found me locked in my room curled up in a fetal position. How on earth would I be able to spare ANY time to do ANYTHING I wanted to do. AND what would I do if I had 30 minutes anyway? My life back then was work, eat, sleep, repeat. I was in such a state that I couldn’t even do half the things that HAD to be done. My husband was recovering from surgery that nearly cost him his life. We were just moving into our newly built house and having all sorts of issues around that (never again!). Graviee was just about to start high school (OMG first day of high school was worse for me than preschool or “big” school). And I work crazy hours full time. I had no time.

No wonder I lost it!

Learning how to juggle

Then something mysterious and wonderful happened. A series of events that changed my life forever. An iPhone app, of all things, Home Routines (THE.BEST.APP.EVER!), helped me organize my life. It then led me to FlyLady who showed me how to get back in control with routines. This then led me to following some fabulous people on Twitter and then to the world of Blogging. I was now making time for me.

For 12 years I had neglected myself and I was miserable… beyond miserable… and so was everyone around me. Now I finally realized that if I’m happy, doing things that I want to do, then they will be happy too….. well most of the time…. Graviee isn’t too happy when I tell her to do her own washing because I’m busy with my blog

Anyway, this is what has to be done and this is the way it’s going to be. There IS such a thing as work/life balance.  I am NOT being selfish. Everyone needs to take some responsibility, and they are learning. Although, I did chuckle when Lottie said a child as young as 4 can make their own bed. I guess they forget how when they reach 12. But instead of nagging about it as I used to, now I just shut the door. If it gets out of control then precious electronic devices are confiscated until it’s back in order. I’m not losing sleep over it anymore.

This week, and this year, I am making time for more creative pursuits. I’m developing an interest in photography with Project 365. I’m trying to learn another language. I’m doing the One Little Word scrapbook class. I’m also doing a Sketchbook Challenge to try to learn how to draw. There are also other things that I want to take up a little later in the year. And of course there are Lottie’s challenges. One great thing that has come out of this is that Graviee is also taking an interest in some of these things, so we spend time doing them together. My happiness is being shared. Oh and don’t worry. I’m making sure I don’t burn out. I have learned how to juggle and schedule my play time in with my routines. which is just as well as the next challenge K is all about oganising our Kit. And if something should slip, it’s not the end of the world!

 

 

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