2017s
- Slow down.
- Spend more time with the people I love.
- Define myself more through my relationships than my work.
- Speak out.
- Breathe.
*Morning sunrise after days of rain (October 2017)*
Slowing Down to Redirect
I stumbled across this article over the weekend and it really resonated with me and I had to share. You should take the time to go read it and come back, but honestly, Seth Levineβs 5 points are really all you need to know.
via Drowning by Seth Levine (@sether)
I can sympathize with Seth and everyone else as I feel like a lot of us fall into this trap of always trying to take on more and more. Then eventually we hit a wall and have to assess our current situation in order to try to redirect our efforts. That happened to me about 9 months ago when work was getting busier and I was still involved in a lot of other volunteer projects and side projects. I think it finally hit me when I was at a couple of my son’s basketball practices and realized I spent the whole time in the hallway on a conference call for a non-profit I volunteered for. During this same time, I was getting swamped with some side projects I was working on as well as since it was that time of year when lots of work needed to happen with them.
So I took a step back with all the information I had and told myself pretty much the five steps that Seth outlined above. I NEEDED to slow down, I was doing extra things outside my day job that was cutting into my other relationships (i.e., Family and Friends). Ultimately, I knew nothing could change right at that moment as I had made commitments to the people counting on me for the side project work that was being done and the non-profit needed me till they found a replacement. I decided at that point I wanted to take the step of letting the non-profit know I had to move on. I donβt have anything bad to say about the non-profit and in fact, I really enjoyed all of my time working for them and still, today wish I was on the board. However, that was the first best step. As for the side projects, I decided to not take on or start anymore until Fall when I would reassess my current workload and family time.
Fast forward today, I think my redirection of my where I was spending time paid off. In fact, it made the summer more enjoyable as it was fewer things to worry about when we took our 17-day road trip. Also, as the school year just started it has allowed me to be more involved in my kid’s activities by assist coaching.
As for my existing side projects, I am still trying to figure out if I need to cut back on them but for right now I think with the other smaller things I cut out of my schedule through the summer I should be in a good place come next February to push through the work on those projects and continue to support those that are counting on me.
Do you remember a time you have felt like you were drowning and what did you do to get back on track? Let me know in the comments below I would love to hear your story.
Wordless Wednesday 09/27
*View from the top of a Mountain (August 2017, Estes Cone, Estes Park, CO)*
Was a year ago today we had to say goodbye.. We still miss you Tux Tux..
Boo running around the empty soccer field at soccer last night.. π»
Wordless Wednesday 09/20
*Crashing waves into the rocks (August 2017, Popham Beach, Phippsburg, ME)*
Money on my Mind
Money has been on my mind for a post lately, in fact, you could say I think about it all the time.Β (With my mind on my money and my money on my mind.Β - Snoop Dogg).Β So when the Blogging Meetup prompt of the day was βMoneyβ, I knew this was the sign I had been waiting for.
You can’t blame me and I wouldn’t blame you either if it was on your mind. In fact, it is probably one of the reasons why you wake up in the morning when you do and go-to-bed when you do as well. For me it is why I wake up when I do, ok not entirely as I wake up earlier to run, but if it wasn’t my next thing to do at a similar time each day would I need the alarm?
My profession keeps my mind on money too as it is what we are known to help protect with safeguarded controls. Also, like most companies mine is no different where a part of year-end bonus are tied to financial performance and metrics (money).
Personally, I am sure I am like a lot of people that in their own way have certain struggles with money. It might be big challenges to overcome or could be something small but in the end, each person would probably say if only we had more! Then everything would work out and all would be right in the world.
I don’t think so :) β¦ I don’t buy that response as I know I have said it before, so don’t worry you are not alone.
Now I would love to say I have all of the answers and that here are the 5 things you can do to turn this around and never think about money againβ¦ but that isn’t possible as I think no matter what situation you are in you still think about it to a degree but each person is looking at it from a different perspective.
The bigger question is probably what are people’s relationship with money?
Now I know that sounds like a really big question and well it is. It is really what drives you to do what you do, or live like you do every day. Another way to think of it would be what is your end goal with the wealth you have accumulated or might accumulate? You could be one of the fortunate ones at the end of your journey and figure it all out but I am going to guess that is only a small number of people. I would take a guess that most people are on that road right now and it might not always be clear what direction you are going.
This is where my journey starts/started not long ago was that I realized I had not fully defined my relationship with money in my head. In fact, it was also that I didn’t have any short-term goals attached to a larger one. I was just doing what the system told me when I left college. I got a good job and put money away for retirement.
So my question for you to think about is, what is YOUR relationship with money?
That is all I have for today but let’s keep this conversation going in the near future. I was kind of thinking once I started to write this might end up being a couple of posts in which I hope to build on them going forward and incorporate feedback from you.
Grocery Shopping Boo… ππ» #facesofboo
Dark morning trails.. I like the cooler weather but wish it was lighter for my morning runs again. #running
Relaxing Sundays sometimes lead to some creative outfits… Γ°ΒΒΒ
Beautiful afternoon for a Bike ride… π΄
Pizza and Ice cream with the newlyweds tonight. It was great to catch up.
Was a great day for a casual 6.6 mile walk to the peak at 11k but the view from the top was worth it.
Early morning flying… See you soon DEN π©οΈ
Cheers to making it back home last night and having a day to recover until we are tossed back into the real world @aprilgottwalker
After day one of traveling back to MN we covered 767 miles in 13 hrs. The kids did amazing and are still smiling. #roadtrip #MN2Maine @aprilgottwalker
Blue sky’s and what seems like endless road as we are still on day one of the road back home. #ontheroadagain #roadtrip @aprilgottwalker
Nice evening for kayak around the cove with my trusty guide…
Lobster Lady Boo… π¦π»
It never gets old looking at this lighthouse… #PortlandHeadLight #Maine
