Last Wednesday I coordinated a party for women entrepreneurs in Toronto and I was up til 2 am the night before with my husband stuffing gift bags and fine tuning power point presentations. That morning my 1.5 year old son woke up at 4 am because he has no manners (okay I joke, his newest teeth were popping through). I was so tired that morning I thought I was going to die of exhaustion.
- Run four websites/blogs and all the social media that comes with it plus MOM INC on Urban Moms
- Speak at events (lots of fun because I am still a nervous wreck doing this but practice does make it ever so slightly easier each time – although I hate MICROPHONES for many reasons I won’t get into)
- Provide marketing coaching services to entrepreneurs
- Run an entrepreneur networking group for women (which the founder of Urban Mom’s Jen Maier is speaking at on September 21)
- Run an outdoor play group for Active Kids Club
- Do a really bad job of housekeeping but still it is on my to do list
- Take care of TWO kids including walking and picking up from school etc
- Wife of great but messy husband (all though I am sure he would say I am the messy one)
- Cooking, shopping etc but I avoid it like the plague when hubby is around to do it
- Volunteer on a Board of Directors for a Parenting Association and occasionally teach for them
- Volunteer at my son’s school
- Pay bills and do administrative crap
- Laugh a lot because laughing is a good stress reliever and tension reliever for everyone
- Nit pick
- Allow petty crap that I can’t control piss me off
- Garden (my plants die)
- Read trashy mags or many novels as of late
- Exercise although I managed 5 runs and 1 length swim this summer
- Relax much but somehow I do have a wierd level of zen going on because I am doing stuff I like but at same time it does overwhelm me
Obviously, balance is great but at the same time I am really happy because I have learned to peacefully relinquish control over my life since being this busy and it has been very, very therapeutic for me.
PS: The picture of me here is speaking at one of my first events. I was a nervous wreck but I managed to conquer my speaking fears and get through it. I am amazed at what we can accomplish when we put our minds to it!
Wow! You do have a lot on your plate. To answer your question… YES we women do take on way too much sometimes. But I think what is important and what we all have to remember is exactly what you mentioned that you enjoy what your doing. Keep up the awesome work 🙂
http://www.whereparentstalk.com
Leigh
good for you on the publice speaking- I bet you were amazing. Your list is daunting but perhaps because you are doing what you love and you are your own boss – this is helping you with no episodesof depression? You should be proud of all of this!
Leigh, you have no idea how much your sister is in the same boat right now – no, I don’t have children, but Dexter often requires a comparable amount of attention. In my time off, I’ve been helping so many people with so many different things that I honestly don’t know HOW I ever had time for a job! Beth and I were JUST talking this week about the need to say ‘yes’ to everything, thereby stretching our to-do lists beyond a reasonable limit…and lately this has been stressing me out.
Like you, I definitely thrive from having lots going on and being busy – but I think it is a sign of added benefit for you that you’ve been able to combat depression because of it, and for me I still get unhealthily anxious from it. You are definitely a great role model and inspiration as I will certainly hope to work towards this! I am so proud of you.
Hi Erin,
I know it sounds a bit crazy really. There are days when I cry from stress but for the most part I am pretty good with it all. My husband is amazing help in that category.. he has helped me a lot to focus on the big picture.
Wish I had met you but look forward to meeting you soon.
What is your Twitter handle (if you don’t have one go to http://www.momentrepreneursnetwork.com and follow this info on how to set it up – I’ll follow you and retweet your posts!
LM
Leigh,
Wow you sound busy! That is a lot of stuff on your plate. I would love to hear about your strategies for keeping it all in perspective and not allowing petty crap to piss you off. I find that the state of my house really stresses me out, I need a relatively clean place in order to relax and feel zen. Clutter disturbs my Feng Shui. Yet, I don’t have a lot of time to clean, I have a messy husband (& kids of course), so, what to do? (can’t afford cleaners at the moment).
I hope that I have a chance to meet you (and the other bloggers) sometime (I started blogging a week too late for Blue Mountain), I need to share ideas with other busy parents.
You’re doing a great job!
Erin