I think I may not be the only woman who believes she is working too hard.
Every day when the howling dog wakes me up just before 6 a.m. to go out, I think I can't make it through another day of "work camp."
I get up and walk the dog, make the kids lunches, feed the dog, make coffee, wake the kids, nag the kids, make the kids' breakfast, pack their bags, walk them to school, walk home and work for eight hours - with a workout in the middle - then pick up kids, walk them home, help with homework, make dinner, do the dishes, nag the kids, read them a story, put them to bed then work an extra two hours before taking a break to sleep. Oh and I run a second business that I love, so I squeeze that in sometimes.
So what's my problem, you ask?
Well, I could blame my husband, but he seems to be working too., and unable to take my call at the moment.
I think I lack some form of escape. I check my hobbies - shopping and drinking wine - but those don't technically count. So how does one escape?
Vacation is a temporary thing, and I spend my entire vacation worrying about the end of the vacation, so that isn't a real escape. I watch TV shows and those are fun, but again, over before I even get started. How can I/we truly get a break that will be enough?
I think maybe I need to pay more attention and live in the moment. I think this is a skill to develop, and it requires focus....which paradoxically, takes away from the moment.
Then I realize that I need to just put it into perspective. I signed up for all this and I authored the script. I chose two kids, two pets, a renovation, a side job, my own business. I even choose to work out every second day. Well it's not really a choice, but a fear of what will happen if I don't.
I own this schedule. It's my crazy life to manage, and it seems I'll be doing that for the foreseeable future. I can get help and share the load if I speak up, so that might be a route. In the meantime, I need to embrace the moving parts and relish the fact I am needed, and that I keep things moving. Maybe that's what life's all about?
No wait, that's still shopping and wine!
