Balance

I have been working on finding balance in life. I have a lot going on, as we all do, but I can struggle with balancing it all.

I work full time and it can be difficult to turn off work mode outside of my work hours. Language revitalization doesn't fit in a regular work day, but my roll as a professional needs to. 

I am beginning my final year of my PhD program, meaning I will have a LOT of writing to do while completing my dissertation. I doubt my writing skills, I always have, and so I over-think every sentence, every paragraph, making the writing process longer than it needs to be. This year will be a struggle for me to keep on track but I am hopeful that I will complete my program on the timeline I have set.

My son is growing so fast - he just turned 4 and he is soaking everything in around him. He wants and needs my attention - he wants me to play with him, to read to him, to cuddle with him. I love it all and I want to do it all. He deserves my attention.

Lastly, my Takuku small biz fluctuates in the demand that it requires of me. There are weeks on end when I get no orders, while other weeks can be overwhelming and I find myself up late trying to manage it all (think vendor season and the big holidays!). I have also grown to take on design work for others, which is exciting and empowering, but requires time to do well.

So, I try to balance it all. I work where my son can access me easily - in the living room and in the basement where my Takuku business is set up. I make sure to take time to focus only on him. I am schedule set times to work on my PhD work. I bring my iPad with me everywhere so that I can capitalize on any burst of energy I have during down times to either fulfill design orders or to make new designs. I'm taking time to do it all and making a schedule that is as detailed as possible so that it doesn't become too much for me. I am also making sure that I am taking care of my self - mentally, physically, spiritually. In the end, I will need patience from myself and from those around me, so I'm giving myself that.