Hey girl, we need to talk! Listen, I get it life is busy and we have so many responsibilities. In fact, I often say “Adulting is not fun.” The truth is I much rather be an adult but I didn’t always feel that way. The reason for that change was simply the realization and acceptance of “I deserve time for me, I deserve fun”.
Yes, it is true that we get so caught up in the day to day crap that comes our way that we keep pushing our “fun” to the side because it does not feel like a priority. NEWS FLASH
YOUR HAPPINESS SHOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY
I am not saying “fuck having a savings account or washing dishes, I am going to party hard every day!” I am saying “Take back your time!” I can hear you now…..”But how Nicole? How do I do that when there’s so much on my plate?” Well, let’s figure that out together!
I am a sucker for puns and visuals so I am going to break it down like this……
First let us look at the reason why we NEED fun:
Nothing is healthy without balance right? Let’s say you love ice cream. In fact, you love it so much that you eat it all day (it’s the only thing on your plate” Now I am not a doctor but I think it is safe to say, that is not healthy. But, what if I knew I needed more greens in my diet so I switched to a lettuce only plate? I do not like it but I do it because I have to. Again, not a doctor, but also, I think that means I would be missing a lot of nutrition my body needs. Are you catching on?
Moderation girl, say it with me! “I must have balance, it is essential to my survival.” You can not do 100 things a day for others and nothing for you, the opposite is also true. Now that we established why we need a plate full of a variety, let’s look at how to achieve that…..
How to make time for you
Now we need to figure out how to make time when we have no time, so let’s paint a picture…. Let’s say you want to take a trip but can not afford it. You have three options. Option 1: Put it on a credit card and stress about it later, Option 2: look at your budget and see where you can cut back temporarily to pay for the trip and plan. Option 3: Complain and be sad that you can’t afford it.
I think we can agree the best option you have is option 2.
In order to get something else you will need to take that money back from another place. Deciding where to cut back from is the hard part. I bet you are wondering why the heck I am talking about budget. No, it is not because I am doing life with ADHD. I promise I have an actual point here! We know we only have so much money and must divide it between our wants and needs. Well guess what we also only have so much time! Life works the same way. In order to make time for you, we have to pull it from somewhere else. This is going to look different for everyone so the first step is to take inventory. Grab a pen, I will wait………. Or just keep reading and bookmark this handy blog to come back to again later. Ready? Ask yourself the following:
- What are the “Must do” things today or this week?
- What are the “I should do” things today or this week?
- What are the “Want to do” things today or this week?
Take your time and be honest! For, example:
- I must feed my kids dinner (even if it is heating up leftovers). I must take my daughter to her orthodontist appointment and I must meet with my clients for their scheduled calls.
- I should clean my closet out (no really, I should). I should take the kids to the 2 birthday parties planned for this weekend. I should go to the park for a play date.
- I want to have lunch with my friend. I want to get a pedicure. I want to watch the rest of this Netflix show. Last but not least, I want to workout.
Now we need to know that my “must” list is staying how it is. I can not just let the kids starve (trust me they will act like they are starving). However, I need to postpone a “should” so I can do a “want”. So let’s say I can not have lunch with my friend today if I clean out my closet today. Well, guess what the world will still turn if my closet is a hot mess for another day. Therefore, I am going to get lunch!
See here is the thing, when we break it down it helps us remember something pretty important! Do you know what that is? Do not worry, I am going to tell you. The “should dos are not needs” and most important of all the “wants are needs”.
You need time to relax, to have fun, to feel human, not like a robot that services the world! YOU NEED, YOU TIME!
Full disclosure, you also need to make time for those not so fun tasks (like feeding children, I swear I do not loath feeding my children). If you constantly procrastinate the not so fun things you will end up in chaos. Think wild animal children (because they are hungry), huge messes that need a hazmat suit, and no income. You get the point, so find the balance.
So here is my challenge for you:
Balance that daily plate by getting rid of one “should” and adding one “want” everyday for the next 5 days!
It can be reading a book for 15 minutes, watching a show, lunch with a friend, or taking a trip just for you. Whatever it is, have some fun and start making a life you enjoy.
I promise the world will keep moving if you let yourself have more fun! I know it is not always easy and some days it will feel impossible but even if it is 10 minutes, it is time to take back some overdue time for you. After all, you are just as important as your family, boss, best friend, and so on.
Now get out there and play a little harder today.
