And I'm not talking about the new hit show "Tidying up with Marie Kondo," although I DO love to purge items and be minimalist as possible. I'm talking about juggling life. Having a career, being a foster mom, with a chronic illness like cystic fibrosis can make it feel like I'm juggling 10 items at a time. I think I'm finally getting an idea of what I need to do!
I sleep 9:00 pm-6:30 am (yes, full 9.5 hours) and I need them. I do nebulizer treatments, pills, and clean medical equipment for 4 hours a day. Between getting the kiddo(s) off/on bus at 8am and noon, making meals, cleaning, errands. It doesn't leave a lot of time for: career, family, volunteering, and other aspects like appointments (both medical and fostering). I'm not complaining. I'm SUPER lucky to have a family and career. Plus, I'm fairly healthy and stable despite my cystic fibrosis.
I have been doing awesome at managing all my meds. SUPER THANKFUL for that! Especially considering I added 2 weeks of Home IV antibiotics on top of my normal 7-10 nebulizer treatments a day (those IVs ended a couple days ago and follow up is March 3rd- stay tuned...). I know my medications have to be a priority. Not only for me, but for me be the healthiest possible for my family.
I try to plan ahead and work smarter, not harder (I think that's from Dave Ramsey) - I listen to his podcast quite often. I just have to get creative sometimes... like recently I did my treatments during my 30 minutes lunch in a 7 hour long real estate seminar. I try to mulit-task as much as I can. I do puzzles with our kiddo(s) or do online real estate work during my treatment times at home too.
Sometimes I need a personal time-out.
Just time to stop and enjoy a mug of decaf black licorice flavor hot tea (No?? maybe coffee in your case ;-P). I want to enjoy every minute. As a foster parent we never know when our time with the children in our home will come to an end. I want to make the most of every minute and soak it all up <3
I have been using my google calendar in my phone more religiously. And trying to not spend time on "how to plan my time effectively," because next thing I know my planner will look beautiful, but I have no time left to be actually PRODUCTIVE. ( Note: I do use a planner for breaking down big campaigns, projects, deadlines, etc. But I minimize time spent writing in the planner. )M
More doing and less planning.
I think only am I starting to learn what it means to spend my time more wisely and soak up every precious moment. My personal time-outs help. I can see a difference in my days, enjoying more and worrying less. Not surviving, but actually living.
What are some ways you manage time effectively? Do you have a personal time-out or quiet time to refocus? I'd love to hear about them? How do you deal with daily life struggles?
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