Sometimes, being in a rut is good…as long as you can wake yourself up. Here me out.
Routines are great, and I’m a big proponent of them, but only in moderation. Sometimes I feel like routines can make us a bit stagnant and the result can spiral into a rut.
I guess I’ve been feeling a bit stagnant lately when it comes to my work, even though I am currently working on one of my largest projects to date! The last 2 weeks have been a whirlwind of media attention for Adam’s RSV and various freelance projects, and this week I had some breathing room. That breathing room made me feel a bit stagnant and unproductive. There were 3 days this week I literally had nothing to do but to hang out with the kids. Awesome, but when you’re on the go so much, it felt unnatural and made me feel a bit lazy and out of place.
The other day I asked Luke a very straightforward question. “Is there anything mommy does you wished she didn’t do?” And he responded with the same answer he’s always said… every since he was 3 years old.
“Mom, I wish you didn’t work and could play with me every day. When do you think you can recover?”
“Recover? Do you mean, retire?” I asked.
“Yes! When do you think you can retire?”
Still a little confused, I explained to him that mommy doesn’t work nearly as much as a lot of other moms. I’m home with the kids all day, every day. I do think I need to be more organized with how I handle my work and time with them. But for the most part I do my work in the mornings after Luke is off to school, while Eden and Adam are playing. I am free most every evening to spend time with the family, which is amazing.
But back to the working thing, I think it’s important that my children see me working. My mom always worked from home, so I often had to entertain myself. I want my children to know that their mom works hard to help contribute to our family.
Just because I am home doesn’t mean I don’t have those days where I find it really hard to get motivated. On those days, my thoughts are all over the place with so many things I need to do. Little things like schedule the kids dentist appointments and submit money for their upcoming book fair. Larger things like contacting guests for our upcoming podcast (eeeeek!) and keeping up with my brand partnerships and collaborations.
Yesterday was one of those days I’d rather lay in bed and watch Netflix than face any kind of realities the day threw my way. I felt completely unmotivated, somewhat scattered and downright lazy. Basically, I felt like a boob.
Let’s turn the tables: when you have those days, do you consider it a low point or a rut? Or do you consider it a chance to refuel and get motivated for the next step?
I’m going for the latter of the two, even if it’s sometimes difficult to focus with so much clutter and noise.
Let me hear your thoughts below!
Leave a Reply