Good grief, it’s been nearly a year since I’ve sent a newsletter or even written a blog post. Sometimes life gets so busy, we have to figure out how to get ourselves back on track. Covid has certainly had an impact on all our lives, and adapting to the “new normal” as it exists for us is imperative.

When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I take a moment to ask myself these questions:

• What must I do right now, or by the end of today?
• What must I create time for in my daily/weekly schedule?
• What can I realistically put on hold temporarily?
• How can I schedule some “me” time into my day?

The “must do” items are things that cannot be ignored without consequences; things like paying bills, tending to pressing medical issues, dealing with the “check engine” light on the dashboard, returning phone calls and important emails, eating, staying hydrated…

Figuring out what we actually have time to do on a day-to-day basis is critical. I think that’s why so many of us look to the New Year to get back into a routine. We make annual resolutions with the best of intentions. Unfortunately, they often fall by the wayside before February arrives because we make them too vague or too unrealistic. Here’s a link to a blog post I wrote about setting goals that are obtainable.

Creating space in the schedule for some “self care” is also important – what sort of things do you like to do? I enjoy reading and doing jigsaw puzzles. Even during this global pandemic, my husband and I make time to walk together, either outdoors or at our local mall. Whatever it might be, it’s important to schedule “me” time to balance out the “must do” items.

Sometimes, figuring out what you can put on hold means learning to say, “No” to outside pulls for your time and attention. Or it might mean limiting the time we waste spend online. Put a reminder on the calendar a month from now so you won’t forget about a non-urgent thing you need to do, trusting you’ll get to it when you’re not quite so busy.

When there’s something that we really need to do but can’t seem to get started, it’s easy to find a kazillion things we convince ourselves MUST BE DONE NOW! Yeah, you know what I’m talkin’ about. Put blinders on in order to stay committed to the task at hand. Not actual blinders but virtual ones to help block out distractions. Set a timer ‒ 15 minutes or an hour, whatever you can reasonably handle ‒ and when it beeps, go do something else.

Wash, rinse, repeat until that project is done. The satisfaction you’ll feel by tackling what you’ve been avoiding will be gratifying, trust me.

I hope this helps you get a handle on how you’re currently spending your time, deciding what you need to focus on, and how to get started.

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