Take a Breath
Hey guys!
I don't know about you, but I feel like I am having the hardest time fitting everything I want to do into one day. I have a million and one ideas and then I also have the things I feel like I have to accomplish (like laundry, cleaning, dinner, etc). Honestly, learning how to be a wife and be a professional all at once is a hard task. I know many people do this, so it is totally doable. But sometimes you just feel overwhelmed. Anyone else!?
All of the things I want to spend time on are getting pushed to the back burner. How do you combat this? How do you make the important things priorities?
Leave Perfection Behind I know for me, I feel like I can't pursue anything until my life feels in order. The house needs to be clean. The laundry needs to be done. The groceries need to be bought. Dinner needs to be made. I am not saying that these things are not important, however, they will always be there. Sometime you have to set your goals and dreams as your priorities. For instance, you still go to work when your house is dirty. This is because this is something you CANNOT miss or push to the back.
Why don't we see our dreams as such? Aren't they just as important? I feel like sometimes we think of our dreams as options. For me, my dreams are not optional, though sometimes I treat them as if they are. For instance, recently I have not been posting as much because I feel like there are more important things to do. But won't the dishes still be there once I spend some time working on my blog? YES! They will!
Ask For Help All my life I have worked on being as independent as possible. I don't want to have to rely on anyone to help me pursue my dreams. I'm finding that there is such a thing as being too independent. That's honestly just pride. Sorry to burst some bubbles. You will always need people to achieve your goals. And what fun is it to achieve your goals without anyone there to celebrate with you?
Truly, you cannot get anywhere without people. This is true for all women alike. You need people; whether it is for advice, inspiration, or literally to further your goal in a tangible way. So find those people, the people who you can trust to truly have your best intentions in mind. Then in times of crisis, turn to your people. Don't be prideful! Ask for help.
This has been so hard for me to learn. I hate asking people for help for two reasons. One, I feel like I am inconveniencing people. Two, my pride gets in the way. One of my favorite writers, Jordan Lee Dooley, said that typically the blogs/podcasts we produce are what WE need the most. So this post is coming from a person who truly struggles with taking a breath and asking people for help.
My success has not come from just me. Of course I believe that God has the biggest role in all of this. But, my husband has been there for me from day one of starting my blog. He takes my pictures, he proofreads my work, and he lets me bounce my ideas off of him. When I tell him I need a picture, he says OKAY, jumps in the car, and takes me to some random spot he thought would be great for pictures. My hubby cares about my dreams because he cares about me. Learn to trust your people, they care!
Take a Break For me, when I get overwhelmed, I loose all sight of practicality. I start getting irritated at Shea for no reason, I don't eat, and I literally feel like my life is ending. It is just the most ridiculous and crazy thing ever. For me, I have to STOP, literally in my tracks. If its one of those days where I got so busy I missed a meal, I go sit down and eat. Hunger can truly get the best of me.
Sometimes, I will ask Shea if he wants to go get a drink somewhere. Taking a drive to get a Coke or whatever helps me so much. It pulls me out of that "end of the world" mindset and lets me see that life is still sweet and my goals are still very attainable.
So when you start feeling those awful feelings. Just pause. Do something that makes you happy, and then start again. You will never accomplish anything good when your mind set is already on failure mode.
Put Your Phone Away I know EVERY girl struggles with this. When I get stressed, I may go start scrolling through my social media. On social media, you will find the best moments of everyone's life. When I'm already in a state of feeling like a failure, this only makes me feel more inadequate.
I love social media for the purpose of it's creation. It was created to help connect people, right? Sometimes I feel like we become so fake and plastic that we loose reality on what people's lives really look like. Social media's purpose has become twisted. This is a totally new topic that I would love to write about. But just remember that social media is probably not the best place to turn when you are upset. Most of it is pretty fake.
It's hard to pursue your dreams when you believe the lie that everyone else's lives are perfect. It's not true. And thank goodness! Perfect lives are boring.
Try implementing these tips into your life. If you don't have a goal, make one. What is important to you? What makes you tick? Find that thing and figure out where you want to be with it. Set goals.
Goals are amazing and something everyone should have. They are worth your time. They allow you to see your growth. Growth is worth celebrating and can be so inspiring to yourself and those around you. So remember that your goals and dreams are important. Just as important as your job. A job will always be there, but creating your dream takes time. Take the time, my friend. It's so worth it!
Have a blessed week and take some time for you!
-Chandler