Superwoman can do one

For the last two weeks I have been struggling. Struggggggggling, I tell you - it turns out (how we laugh), that having endometriosis and associated chronic fatigue does NOT mix well with being super busy with work, attempting to have any kind of life, being with my Totally Awesome Twins and maybe uttering a sentence or two to Miles (drooling into the sofa doesn't count as conversation, I hear. Pah.)

I am so proud to have had a brilliantly profitable work pipeline recently, no mean feat as a self employed bod and a far cry from my early days of freelancing, known as the Staring at the Letterbox for the Cheque days.

BUT. Methinks some balance is required, so I am going to follow the advice of the lovely, sanguine and sage blogger and buddy of mine Katie over at Pouting in Heels. She says, (and I quote):



I won't call Katie stupid. I am the same. I want to have a spotless house, brilliant business, happy, well fed children wearing clean clothes, hot dates with my hot man, time to read, paint, draw, run, do the downward doggy dawg, oh AND have world domination. No pressure at all, then.

My partner is really good at looking at my ridiculous lists and saying "well that's not essential, thats not essential" and thus removing half my self imposed pressure.

I need to work out why I put the pressure on myself, and remove it. Or, just remove it and shut up. Probably easier.

The crux of it is, if I don't look after myself, I crash and burn. We all do, and I do especially with the way my system is set up at the moment (ie, broken).

For me, at the moment, looking after myself means more rests that I think I need at the time to pace and build up my energy; not easy when The Minis wake up at night still, or a deadline looms large.

So, Katie has inspired me to re-look at how I am living. This week I made some adjustments to work, cut out some self imposed deadlines and projects, and have got my lifesaving VA's in place to help me. I swear I do not know how I existed before without Isabel and Ruth. *kisses their feet*

I will be going back ot my Life Manifesto list, something I have been using with the lovely ladies on my Freelance Mum Survival E course, and checking it against reality.

I am off on holiday next week - Center Parcs, BRING IT ON - and I plan to have a week of playing with The Minis, watching cartoons, reading my Book Club Book (The Book Thief, have you read it? Am halfway through...), oh and splashing about in the pool. I don't want to take my laptop with me, and if you catch me tweeting too much you have my permission to tell me - nicely, natch - to fuck off.

NICELY, I SAID.

Ok. So chill pill, Gifford. Re-balance.

Do you find it hard to balance life, motherhood, and work? Check out my Freelance Working Mum series of vids if you have time. Despite the evidence presented here I do talk sense. Sometimes.



 

 

 

 

 

 

Image credit: Christopher Dennis

* What is a New York minute? I may need to go back to NYC and find out.  Feel free to send me on flights, universe.