Long time, no catch up. I hope your weekend is off to a great start.
I started 2015 by sharing my intention to slow down. While I never slowed to a pace that felt just right, I did manage to refocus my priorities somewhat and get some things off my plate. I was feeling like things were fast-paced but not frantic. And that was a step in the right direction.
Then everything changed again. (Like life always does…the one constant is change, right?) And recently I’ve been feeling a bit out of balance. Like starting work at 6 a.m. and not shutting down my laptop until after 10 p.m. with the anxious feeling that it will never all get done and not having time for personal stuff like errands and workouts. (Which is not a good feeling for me and also not good for my relationships.)
But instead of going down the vortex of oh my god out of control busy again, I’m committed to making some serious decisions about time management and where I’m focusing my energy. The most valuable asset that we have is our time. I want to continuously evaluate what I’m doing and where I am to make sure that I’m using my time to do the things that bring me the most fire and reward.
More on that to come but let’s catch up on the last week…with food and golden retriever pictures…as usual!
Banana egg white oatmeal.
Really different and delicious smoothie from Berrybrook here in Charlotte. I hadn’t been there in forever! It was the Maneesh. I always love how they put nuts in their smoothies instead of nut butters. It’s a nice way to change up the texture.
Salad with spinach, strawberries, toasted spiced pecans, deli chicken, hard boiled egg, avocado, cucumber, feta and balsamic.
Another salad with much of the same ingredients plus tomatoes and arugula.
Salmon with roasted broccoli and pine nut couscous.
Bone-in spiced chicken with shredded brussels sprouts and bacon and roasted butternut squash.
Italian pesto marinated chicken breasts with steamed kale and sauteed portobello.
Friday night cheese plate.
It’s been rainy in Charlotte for the last five days. This is how we all feel about that. But seriously…my poor house. So much mud and dirt. And poor dogs. Zoey is losing her mind.
This is how I’ve been ending my long days. Before bed I get in the floor and have family cuddles with the pups. It’s pretty amazing.
How are you doing on your New Year’s intentions/resolutions/goals?
What action do you take when things start to feel out of balance?
So true – time is our most valuable asset! I must say I’m quite jealous of how you get to end your days with those two furballs!
My world feels upside chaotic lately (all good stuff though!!) so honestly, the best way I knew how to unclutter my mind and slow the heck down was to reorganize my closet this morning after my run. It totally recentered me!
When I start feeling overwhelmed or like things are out of balance, time management is huge for me, too. Planning my time out (with actual pen and paper) has been so helpful for making sure I prioritize what’s important and do those things before everything else 🙂
It’s so easy to go into that downward spiral of overwhelm..I feel you. Glad you’re not letting it get there and reevaluating – I do the same thing weekly it feels like! WHen things start to feel out of balance for me, I cut out the things that aren’t important (social media or whatever) for a while to have more time to do what really matters. Then it usually starts to feel more manageable after a slow week or so!
Delicious food!! 😛
I am definitely hitting that burnout mark where it’s time to re-prioritize. I work full time doing economic research at a university but also run a small cookie business that I want to grow. Plus I volunteer as a Girls on the Run coach, go to crossfit, am training for a half-marathon, and have a husband and two dogs. I just can’t balance it all anymore without losing my mind and have started thinking about what can get cut. It’s tough! Right now I’m still in the weeds and haven’t figured out how to slow down and balance my schedule back out. I think I’m just waiting to quit my research job so I can focus on ONE job and actually grow my business.
Jen, I highly recommend a book by my friend Carson Tate called Work Simply. She’s a fellow Charlotte resident and an amazing woman who helps people find their personal productivity style and make time for what matters most to them. She shares a lot about time being our most valuable asset and how to make the best investments with it … I know you’d love the book and hope maybe you can connect with her in town sometime.
I feel ya, Jen! I have this tendency to let certain areas of my life get unbalanced from time to time too. For example, if I’m working on a new project, I’ll be so focused on it that I’ll put my workouts and just about everything else aside until I get a significant amount of leg work done. I’m still learning to strike that balance so that I don’t neglect anything. It’s really challenging to do.
Not related to anything you’re talking about here, but you’re my favorite blog to follow! I get so many recipe & workout ideas from you! 🙂 1-2 times a week I like to incorporate an ‘at-home’ workout into my routine so I can switch it up from the gym. Let’s talk about that 500 rep workout…holy shit! That looked easy on paper but I am STILL sore two days later. I’ll definitely be doing that one again.
Thank you for everything that you share here, Jen!
Ashley
hi ashley, thank you so much for taking a moment to share this comment. it was such a lovely start to my monday! haha, the 500 is tough and always leaves me sore too. those jump lunges will get you ever time!