A Summer Fulfilled (Part 3)

 

At the beginning of summer, I asked all of us: "How do you want to feel at the end of your summer?"

While August has only just arrived--and you know I'm the last person to rush to the fall--I wanted to reflect on the progress I've made toward my feeling in hopes that it motivates you to do the same.

I began the summer wanting to feel "balanced". I noticed that a lot of my stress and guilt was directly connected to the imbalance I was feeling in all of the roles I play on a daily basis.

In my past two posts, I shared my journey into a tangible way to monitor how I was spending my time and how I was identifying my "Big" and "buffer" goals. This log sheet was essential, and I learned so much from filling it in--even though it was so simple!

It helped me visually see where I was spending my energy, and I was able to make small shifts throughout my day so that I felt a better sense of balance.

This was most helpful for me in terms of self-care and time with friends/family. I'm often so busy being involved in every other role that those two can fall by the wayside. I began to notice how less time in those two areas had a direct connection to my lack of balance, because I was so focused on being "productive" that I didn't make time for the resetting that alone time & quality time with quality people can truly offer.

I can proudly say that I'm nearing the end of summer with a true sense of "balance" and what it means for me in my life. I've stopped checking the clock when I'm out to coffee or lunch with people I care about, because I'm giving myself permission to be fully present and simply enjoy that time without expectation. I've stopped rushing from one task to the next around the house when the kids are present, because I've found joy in diving into play with them--again without expectation. In both of these situations, it's become apparent that these shifts in my behavior have had a more positive impact on my kids and friends as well. I can tell in their words and their actions that my full attention in those moments truly does make a difference.

I'm always going to wear many hats, and I know my self enough to know that I live my best life when I am working toward balancing several roles. Now, though, I can see that "balance" doesn't mean equitable time in each of those roles; it means being mindful in my day-to-day life and making small shifts to ensure that none of those roles goes unfulfilled for too long. 

My hope for you is that you can take a moment or two to reflect on your own feeling for the end of this summer. And if this is the first post you're reading, jump back two posts to begin your journey now. It's never to late to give yourself permission to be more present and more specific about what you want in life.

Here's to big goals that are met through small shifts,

Kristy Jean