Hhhmmm, where do I begin???

If you’re life is anything like mine, hectic and very difficult to manage at times, you can definitely relate with what I am about to say. Because of what my life has evolved into, (mother of three…ages 6, 2, & 1 month, breastfeeding almost every hour when at home, about to start working again as a nurse, fulfilling typical wife duties, heavily involved in church, maintaining a mostly vegan diet that requires a lot of cooking and meal prepping, promoting a side business of which I have become passionate about, and now homeschooling my 6 year old), let’s just say I’ve been forced to become a queen of the multi-tasking. Case in point, I am currently breastfeeding while writing this blog…

Having a busy life calls for some strategic life planning and evaluation. I know for me personally, I like to take all the advice and help I can get my hands, eyes, and ears on. It’s not always easy and that’s why I guess I am currently taking the time to write some of my “strategic life planning” out to hopefully help someone else who maybe struggling to keep up with “it all”.

First things first…

RECOGNIZE, THEN PRIORITIZE

What are those things in life that are most important to you? Think about them. For me, it’s God, my husband, my kids, the health of my family and myself, friendships….then it’s the less important things, but still of value…cleanliness, my job(s), my hobbies…the list can go on…

It’s crucial to recognize the things that are important to you. Once you recognize them, you must prioritize them. Let’s face it, there is just not enough time in the day to get everything done. You have to check the things off on your “to-do list” by value. Ok, so my faith and my family first. So above all, quality time with God and each one of my kids, as well as my hubs, needs to be achieved.

Quality time with the ones I love the most…

There’s something you are always reminding yourself of, but always falling short of. Here are a couple of things that you can do:

1. Turn off the TV!!! That room make-over show can be recorded for later or just not watched at all.

2. Go on dates with each person in your family!…husband (A MUST), son, daughter…show them you care and give them THEIR time. Be creative with how you spend your time! Know what they like to do and be a master of surprise! : )

3. Be a good listener! No getting distracted by that pile of laundry or the over-flowing trash can

Time management is crucial, so setting aside a time for “quality time” is a must.

Now for the next thing to help keep your sanity…

Attitude…

Ha! That’s right! Attitude…have a good one! Simple as that. Be an example to your kids. SHOW them your POSITIVE attitude through your actions. Correcting my kids has become my full-time job (too bad I can’t get paid per time-out…I’d be rich), so let’s make the job easier by demonstrating good behavior. Kids are sponges, they absorb and copy, so just remember that the next time you’re vacuuming the floors for the 25th time that day.

Our attitudes are all about our perspectives. If we keep a positive perspective, we will definitely keep the stress level at an all time low. So the next time you look at the dumped out toy box, instead of cursing under your breath because it’s just one more thing you have to clean, look at it as a blessing. The fact that you actually have been blessed with a child to play with those toys. Maybe it’ll put a smile on your face.

Now…

My health…

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle for both your family and yourself is no easy task, especially when your time is so limited. We’ve already prioritized this in the “most important” category, so let’s give it 100% effort. My definition of “healthy” may vary from yours, but it’s very important to me to keep it as pure and natural as possible. If you’ve read any of my other posts, you’ve come to realize that I hold great value in naturopathic medicine despite me being a nurse. I try to maintain a mostly organic and nutrient rich diet with very limited processed anything for both my family and I. I also try to keep as much control (as my sanity will allow) in keeping a toxic free home. I’ve done many years of research in what affects our health and my conclusions have led me to live with those particular beliefs. If my health is very important to me, why would I compromise? Is that particular way of living costly? Of course, but you can’t put a price on true life worth. Is this life-style time consuming? Obviously, but that’s why we must prioritize our time. If exercising is important, kill two birds with one stone and combine it with family quality time…exercise as a family!….ha go figure. Will I get lazy sometimes? That’s a given, but keep going. Will I fail? Oh yea, but how quick I recover is key. Show some passion when it comes to your health. Your body will thank you.

For all those other important things that are lower on your list…

Because you’ve given your time to the MOST important things, you’re limited with these. You know they still have to get done or given attention to, but keep in mind that if they don’t get done right away, it’s okay. My general rule of thumb these days is to work on it a little at a time each day. Because I view cleanliness next to Godliness, a messy house can be quite stressful to me. I just have to balance the tasks out. If you’re an excellent multi-tasker you will thrive, but if you’re not, don’t freak. There is a solution. Do a little each day. Wash a load of laundry today, clean the bathroom tomorrow, dust the next day. This way, the things that require cleaning everyday (if they bother you…ex: the living room, dishes in sink, etc.), won’t be so overwhelming to fit in. This rule also applies to other things. Just remember to pace yourself. Marathon, not sprint.

Now…

I probably can create a list of helpful tips a mile long, but to save you from losing your mind (and defeating this blog’s purpose), I’ll sum it up to one last thing…

HAVE FUN!

Laugh. Dance. Be spontaneous (a little lol). Allow for error and be okay with it! Enjoy the life you were given because it goes by so flippin’ fast. One day your breastfeeding the youngest, coming up with some lame excuse why the tooth fairy didn’t show for the oldest, and trying to convince the other one the potty is his best friend. Before you realize, you’re sending them all off to college. ENJOY EACH MOMENT. Step back and take an outside look at what you have been given. Capture a mental photograph of memories. Life is what you make it. Think about it.

Cheers to a healthy, happy life!!!