The Balancing Act

 I have a friend I talk to daily and open up about what I am trying to navigate. He said to me today that I am always working on school work. I took a step back and looked at his words, and realized I do spend a lot of time either thinking about doing school work, or actually working on it. Most of the time is spent thinking about it, stressing about how much I have to do and not being motivated to actually do it. The next thing I did was look at the times in the day I did take action and how much further along I am than I was last week.

Monday-Photographed a food recipe for a food blogger, edited the images, and sent them the files. Project complete. Worked on School work and prepared for the exam. Started working on setting up my photography business by registering for the mentorship.

Tuesday-Exercised. Went in to the flower shop to talk about a part-time job. Came home, studied for my exam and took the exam, passing with a 97/102! 

Wednesday-Exercised. Went to the library to work on school work since my wifi went down. Created a new logo for my photography business, and purchased the domain. Picked up Colton and spent 2 hours with him. Came home, worked on school work.

Thursday-Had a job interview at a furniture store. Went to the library working on business; printing out the "to-do" list, and thinking about what job I am going to take. Do I take a full time job with benefits, and build the photography business on the side? Or take a low-pay part-time job, and put all my energy into the photography? Do I get financially stable first, before investing into a startup business? The full-time job feels safe, and since I am renting a room in a house that is 30 minutes away from my children, stability seams like the best option. Then, my ex husband text me and says he would like to swap years for spring break with the kids, which starts in 1 week. My family is very important to me (my why), and I would consider it. I think, is this a test to see if I would choose my family over everything else? How can I make something work?

Friday-Here we are! Working on School work, planning on working on my business paperwork, and staying home because there is a big snow storm.

 Here are a couple things I learned from this week.

1-I am not balanced. I might be moving forward, but I am not balanced. There was only 1 day in this whole week I saw my son, and he lives 30 minutes away. However. I did make progress in other areas that are building towards having my own place closer to them.

2-Thinking about doing something, and not doing it is recreational stress. I've been thinking about so much this week (all that above that has not been completed) and making a decision would make life much easier. To have a balance should be a dream or goal in itself! LOL

3-I'm grateful for friends that tell me things like "Your always working on School work". I don't need to consume all my time doing school work (or thinking about doing school work), I just need to do it.

Why is this thing called "balance" so difficult? Here are a couple reminders for myself to focus on my overall goals.

1. Prioritize your time: If you do need to work overtime, prioritize your time so that you can fulfill your family responsibilities as well. This may involve scheduling specific times for family activities and sticking to them, or finding ways to include your family in your work responsibilities.

2. Seek support: Don't be afraid to ask for help from family members, or friends.

3. Take care of yourself: It's important to take care of your own physical and emotional well-being during this time. Make sure you are getting enough rest, exercise, and healthy food, and take breaks when you need them.

4. Be flexible: Remember that balancing work and family responsibilities can be challenging, and it may require some flexibility and compromise on both sides. Be open to new solutions and try to maintain a positive attitude, even in difficult situations.