This image shows exactly how I’m feeling right now.
How often have you said to yourself that you wish there were more hours in the day? There’s a number of things working against this scenario.
Firstly there’s the Law of Time – you can’t have any more than 24 hours each day!
Then there’s one of Murphy’s Laws that states “Everything takes longer than you think it will”, which just chews up the hours you do have. Everything seems to be taking me more time than I have to do them, that’s for sure.
However, my biggest problem is not that I don’t have enough hours in the day, after I have the same as everyone else does. No, my problem is that I’m trying to do too much in those hours.
And, I’m either not getting things done, or not doing things well.
Hell on Earth for a perfectionist.
Sometimes the overwhelm gets the better of me, my house, my finances, and even my parenting. I use my blog to keep myself motivated, to force myself to find solutions to my problems. But even the blog itself can take up too much of my time if I let it!
It’s time for some serious prioritisation and time management.
I only have 24 hours in a day. I need to figure out how I’m going to use them so that I can achieve a less chaotic homelife for our family, a better rested and healthier body for myself, and better control of our financial income and outgoings.
I need to remember that whilst my contribution to our family is multi-faceted, I can’t have it all, not all at once anyway!
What do you do to beat the mundane treadmill of busyness? Have you figured out how to balance without falling flat on your face?
Laney x
I hear you! As a busy working mum I often wake in the middle of the night in a panic and can’t get back to sleep. I’ve been doing The Organised Housewife 20 Day Challenge and it’s helped me SO MUCH. I feel calmer and more organised in so many areas of my life little by little.
Workingwomenaus’s last post..R U OK?
No. But I have learned that I can’t do everything. I know that to be happy I have to give myself limits and not stray far past them. I’m not one of those people who can do it all. Doing it all makes me grumpy and no fun to be around. So I no longer do it all. Life is short and I want to enjoy it as much as possible. But balance – as much as I love the word, is hard to find. It’s a daily juggle :)
Caz’s last post..Life – it’s a terminal condition.
I love your attitude toward this issue Caz. We do the best we can right? The hardest thing is letting go of things you want to do. But there’s always later I guess!
no i have no idea how to slow it all down.. but I am learning to say no to everything and start thinking about caring for myself.. Its so hard isnt it! x
I sent a few ‘no’ emails today Sarah. Just had to. It’s empowering!
I sooo relate to this Laney! I have a bad habit of writing down the 1000 things that need to be done each day, not factoring in the parenting responsibilities I have, and then being disappointed in myself for only finishing 3 things (if I’m lucky). I try to limit things now to a max of three each day and anything else is a bonus.
Fi @ My Mummy Daze’s last post..Windows of Happiness on our Wedding Anniversary
I reckon I could manage 3 things Fi – and I would actually feel like I achieved something rather than feel like I’m drowning all the time. Sage advice my friend :)
It’s so super busy these days, life in general, with kids or no kids. People are just flying and falling off their treadmills daily!!! If you just take a step back, breath and leave things that aren’t really important and focus on yourself first, everything else will fall into place.
I am slowly working out our family balance and as they say “a happy wife (mum) means a happy life!”
What a classic clip Laney!!! :-))) xxDani
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Yes, you’re so right. I do need to focus on myself. Sleep is a priority and I’m feeling great after tonight’s CrashFit session. Instead of feeling like I can’t move, I feel energised :)
Well said Laney. I did a leadership course just over a year ago and one of the learnings that has stuck in my head is “You can’t manage time. Time just happens and keeps on happening. You need to manage yourself and what you do within that time.” So often we get caught up in “being busy” rather than achieving tasks. Another outcome of the course that I did was to actually write myself a timetable. Not for my kids or my family but for me. When I put down on paper all of the things that I do during the week there were actually some glaringly obvious big spaces. Now those spaces “belong” to me and not to my business. We also learnt about “big rocks”. These are the things that should be put into my timetable first. They include my family and myself. Big rocks are really hard to move – so I don’t. I place them in first and then fit the other things around them. Amazing how a different perspective and look at my week can make an enormous difference and give me back the “lost minutes” that were floating around.
Alli @ Ducks on the Dam’s last post..Food and farming for the future
I love the rock analogy and have done time management courses before, and yes, you can’t manage time! I am trying to write myself a timetable, I feel more in control when everything is set out. I used to do this when the kids were smaller and it was harder to find time for myself to study. Looking forward to finding those ‘lost minutes’ again. Thanks Alli :)
I know the feeling! I started with hours I need for sleep, at least 8, then how much time for kids and family, 5 leaving me with 11 hours to work, me time and simply to get stuff done. Having a goal of three is always good, because if you underpromise and overdeliver to yourself, you are soo much happier!
What a very logical way to work back from the hours of sleep you need. I would never have thought to do that. I know I need to make it a priority too as I’m just too tired all the time. Thanks so much for the advice Rebecca :)
It’s when things all come in a rush that I struggle to stay afloat – this week I’ve got a job interview, we are moving house, plus helping friends move into our old house (and settle into a new life in Melbourne – i.e. support with setting up bank accounts, translating CVs, finding childcare, etc etc), and I there’s another job I should be applying for as a back up in case I don’t get the one on Friday…. And the toddler thinks sleeping through the night is for pussies…And the Captain has ManFlu…Stop the world I wanna get off!!!
Oh crap – that’s a lot going on!!!! You’re moving??? Text me with details – can we help? Good luck with the interview and I hope the world stops spinning to fast soon!
Oh Laney. you know I get this. Why don’t you try the 30 day self-care blueprint (http://theselfcareblueprint.com/) with the gorgeous Deb and Kirri? I reckon it could change your life. For the better. J x
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I know the feeling so recently I stopped blogging for a few weeks and it helped! But I do like the sounds of the 30 day sefl-care blueprint! I’m going to check it out…
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So many good comments here Laney, great. I find this is a very cyclical thing, I get too busy and have to calm things down. Am trying not to take on long, heavy-duty projects as my family situation just cant support that this year. It’s lovely some weeks just to concentrate on home, family and food… and some weeks on ME! You will find your life changes so much when the kids go to school, it’s a huge shift, makes life so much easier, for me anyway.