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It can be difficult to find time for yourself when you are a busy mama. When my boys were little…
Sounds magical, right? Maybe a little too good to be true. But I promise, I have one trick that will get you there.
When I left Google to be a stay-at-home mom, my days got filled up pretty quickly with the monotony of taking care of a baby and a toddler under two. Life became a mix of changing diapers, putting together meals, sleep schedules, laundry and all of the other things necessary for keeping two kids alive and not letting your adulting go to crap (paying bills, keeping the house picked up, etc.) Unfortunately the one thing that did go to crap was self-care, but that is a topic for a different day.
Although I was thankful to say goodbye to a job that was keeping me from spending time with my little ones, I also found myself needing something more. I’m too type-a to sit around in the quiet moments (albeit there were few in those early years) and not have my mind racing with all the potential side-hustle opportunities that I could start from the comfort of my couch.
Of all the ideas that surfaced, writing a book was the one that stuck out the most. I have always loved to read and can get through a book in just a couple hours with no interruption. My journalism degree also didn’t hurt. But how was I going to find time to write a book? I SCHEDULED IT!
I found that scheduling blocks of time on my calendar was the best way to keep me focused. There were only thirty minutes here or there to start, but knowing I would be fully locked in during those moments was the push I needed. Having a supportive husband that allowed me those moments didn’t hurt either.
It took me an entire year, but I finally got there. I accomplished my dream and wrote “The Twin Target”. If you are wondering, the answer is no. No, it has not yet been published so you can’t find it anywhere. As of right now I’ve found that proving I could do it was all I needed. But maybe someday I will take it further.
Don’t let your dreams pass you by. Schedule the time. Prove you can do it. You won’t regret trying, but you may regret not.
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These are the words that I find myself saying over and over again to my husband, Adam. It has become a running joke in our family, and dare I say my mantra. I live my life by my Google calendar. Our chaos is contained thanks to Google calendar.
My memory stinks. Or maybe I should say it’s selective. I can remember all the words to the 90’s songs that I grew up on. I can remember every embarrassing moment of my life, even though I’ve tried pretty hard to forget them. But I can’t seem to remember all the day-to-day activities and to-dos that make up our weekly chaos. That, my friends, is why Google calendar runs my life.
“Can we do a playdate on Monday?”, “Am I available to help at the kids’ school on Wednesday?”, “When is our next Airbnb guest coming?”, “What are we doing this weekend?” are all questions that I have an answer to when I quickly grab my phone and open the Google Calendar app. It makes me feel organized. It makes me feel empowered. It makes me a little more sane in this crazy world.
And I don’t just have one Google calendar. I have four. I have my personal calendar, my photography business calendar, our Airbnb calendar and a calendar for the elementary school fundraising committee that I chair. Every calendar is tied to a different color to make them easily decipherable.
Everything in my life goes into my Google calendars, not just activities and events. School spirit days go on the calendar so we remember to dress the kids. Family friends’ vacations go on the calendar so I know when they won’t be available for playdates. Anyone and everyone’s birthdays go on the calendar so I can send a quick text wishing them happy birthday. Pilates classes with my mom go on the calendar. Time spent working at my part-time Director of Marketing gig goes on the calendar so I can add up my hours on my timesheets. My husband always knows how to find me and where I will be thanks to Google calendar.
Is it a little much? Maybe. Is it a little type-a? Definitely. But does it help the Hopkins family get where we need to be and keep my chaotic life organized? Absolutely!
I implore you to try it for a week. Put everything you have going on during the week in your Google calendar. See if it helps you organize the chaos. But please don’t forget to add your spouse to the events like Adam sometimes does … although technically it is in a Google calendar, it’s not in mine so unfortunately for him it doesn’t exist.