Balancing my Life

A couple of comments on my last blog have set me to thinking about this whole issue of "balance". How do we find it? Is it even attainable with all the expectations on parents these days? What about single parents? They are already doing the work of 2 people ... how in the world can they sacrifice time to work out? How do we deal with stress?

I have no good answers for any of these questions. I am a problem solver by nature, so I want to offer up the perfect plan. However, there IS no perfect plan. We don't live in a Utopian society. Life does not go the way we wish it would most of the time. There are lots of books out there on the subject, whole magazines dedicated to simplifying your life, organizing, compartmentalizing ... but the epidemic of over-worked, over-stressed, overwhelmed people carries on.

I realize that I am in a very fortunate place in my life right now. I am blessed with a supportive husband whose income is sufficient for our needs. I am not required to work outside of the home. I do not have to pay for childcare. I have some free time during the day to take care of my fitness needs, so that I can spend quality time in the evenings with my son. I also realize that this could change at any moment, so I need to take full advantage of the gift of time while I have it.

However, please do not think that I am not busy, that I do not struggle with finding the time to fit in workouts and meal preparation. Our "after-school" schedule is ridiculous. My son has karate twice a week, tutoring and piano. In the late summer and fall he has football 5-6 days a week. Add in homework and chores and the evenings are chock full. My schedule is filled from sun up to sun down.

A few things I HAVE learned along the way that make it easier for me are:

Find one day with a few extra hours in it and spend that time cooking and prepping for the week. Grill or bake a pile of chicken breasts and bag them for easy grabbing. Make a pot of clean, healthy soup that you can heat up quickly during the week. Cut up veggies and store them in single serving containers. Keep portable fruits on hand. Pack a cooler every morning with healthy things to keep in the car so that drive-thru's are not necessary.

Keep a calendar of the your daily menu plan so you know what to take out for defrosting each night, if necessary. I put together a weekly menu at the start of each month. This way, I don't have to think about what to cook, or waste time wandering the grocery store aisles. I know what I need for the week and don't stray from my list. I also put daily obligations on this calendar, such as my husbands travel schedule, my son's schedule and my own appointments.

I divide up the household chores by day. For example, on Monday's my focus is the family room, Tuesday's the downstairs bathroom, foyer and kitchen, etc. This keeps the house fairly presentable and keeps me from getting distracted by another area. If the living room needs attention, I know I will get to it on Thursday ... so less stress. My house is by no means spotless ... but having a plan in place makes it more reasonable.

I know that I can not compare my life to anyone else. I KNOW that I have it easy in so many ways. But I have also had to work really hard to come up with a schedule in order to fit in the time needed for working out. Without it, I can always find other ways to spend my time that are less productive. So this is how I balance my life. Maybe it would work for someone else, too?

I am always looking for ideas on how to better manage my time and keep on top of things. If anyone has some great ideas they want to share ... I welcome them!