This week has been an interesting week. Probably only because I always have high hopes for getting things done in my work life and my home life. Within the last few weeks, I have made the decision to retire again from full-time office work in two years instead of ten years. This is so I can enjoy retirement with hubs and so I can also continue with my books and self-promoting of them. Trust me, if you have ever juggled a full-time job, home life, and a side-hustle (did you know this word is a newly accepted word in the dictionary?), then you know exactly what I mean.

So, my focus for this week’s blog is to talk about how we set out to accomplish things amidst a busy life, in this case at work, and constantly get pulled off our goals. A lot of how successful we are depends on our go-to demeanor or how we decide to handle things. Do we get stressed? Do we let others control what we get done? Do we fall back to a place of calm and peace? What do we do to get it all done? In my case, I try to not get worked up about anything that in a few years won’t matter anyway. But it’s not always easy. I’m sure you can agree.

When Daily Demands Waylay Us

My days, just like many people I know, are just as I described, days with goals but not much progress due to constant daily demands. What is the answer? Well, for me, staying as calm as possible is mandatory. I have learned over the years that everything always works out. I may not get what I want to get done by noon but it will get done by the end of the day. Or I may not get done with those five or six simple things done in an hour but they will be knocked out in two or three.

No matter what it is, there’s nothing more frustrating about having plans to accomplish something than to constantly get sidetracked with other things. It’s not that either the original goals or the new things that pop up are or aren’t more important than the other, it’s that there are only so many hours in the day to get it all done. And yet, really, how we handle things is what counts. Remaining calm is crucial in getting back on track and accomplishing what we originally set out to do. And there’s nothing I love more than to check something off my to-do lists.

How about you? Do you get waylaid by less important things or by things that need immediate attention? Do you get frustrated by constantly being interrupted? How do you combat the daily or hourly needs that don’t meet your initial goals for the day? Do you keep coming back to your task, making progress little by little? Do you need a to-do list to keep you centered and coming back to what needs done? Or do you just write it off to another day?

The important thing I try to keep in mind is that it always works out in the end. I take a deep breath and I start again.

Sticking With the Plan

Now, take today, for instance. I decided to sleep in as I haven’t had a chance to do that in a while, nor will I be able to do so again for a few more weeks. Upon waking and getting going, I realized I chose to put off for today what I should have done yesterday evening. So that took awhile to do, and I still haven’t started my main goal for today. But this only means I will stay diligent until I’ve accomplished all I set out to do – which is mainly all social media involved.

So far, I have prepped two Countdown to 60 IG Story slides, posting today’s already. Next, I’m writing this blog post, hoping to provide you with an update of my author life and ways you can try to achieve your goals despite setbacks – real and imagined (trust me, we can be our own worst enemy when it comes to getting things done). And next on today’s agenda is prepping my Author Photo IG Post and the poster for my Author Event at the Brush Country Market Days book nook next month – actually, just three weeks away.

And amongst all that, I’m doing laundry, dishes, and fussing over hubs, Sammie-girl, and Max-boy. Hey, what’s life if you don’t through some fun and love in there someplace?!

Bringing It On Home – The Busyness, That Is

The thing is all this social media stuff has all been fun and enjoyable, as well as my life here in the country, semi-retired, and living “la vida loca.” And, I think, this is the thing we have to keep in mind about life and the things we commit to. We have to decide that we’re going to enjoy it. If we can’t, we really need to opt out. As we all know, and I’ve said many times before, life is too short to be stressed out about being over-committed.

So, this brings me to talking about my Countdown to Sixty posts. Never did I ever imagine the challenge it’d be to keep up with creating and posting a Countdown to 60 post every day for, oh, thirty-five days now with twenty-five to go. It’s not just that part – which is rather fun as it involves that creative part of me that can’t help myself but break through and spill out into almost everything I do, it’s the busyness it’s added to my daily life. I committed to doing this before I committed to being a 8th grade Catechist again, something I’m good at and enjoy doing. But little did I know what I was doing to my already busy daily life. Yikes!

So, how do I handle things without skipping meals or quality sleep? I used to do just that years ago – and, well, it’s not healthy or viable over the long term. What I do now is let go of reading on days I need to study. Or if I end up working late, I do floor exercises for ten minutes instead of walking in place for thirty minutes. I do my best to go to bed on time. And I try to stay away from trigger foods that might cause migraines, upset stomach, or sleeplessness. And, above all, I close out of social media by a certain time each evening, so I can relax and get ready what I need to for the next day.

I know. It’s a tall order, but selfcare is important. If we know ourselves like we should, we do what we need to do to get the job done and to take care of ourselves.

Shooting For A Free Calendar

Ultimately, I’m looking to free up my busy calendar by mid-November. With the exception of visiting with a dear niece and a friend I haven’t seen in months, my focus will be to read through Book Two one more time before then putting it in the hands of my Reading Team.

This is a BIG goal for me, as I’m pretty bad about wanting to do too much. But it’s what I’m shooting for next on my author journey. Why? Because I want to get to my next book. Book Three is titled, Dear Bully: The ABCs of Dealing With the Meanies in Your Life. And, well, it’s been a long time on the backburner of my mind and is wanting desperately to be written.

So, be looking out for Book Two, It’s Just Your Imagination! The ABCs to Facing Our Fears, in late spring to early summer of 2023. And remember, Book One, Honor One Another: The ABCs of Embracing Our Spirit Within, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, BAM! (Books-A-Million), and by requesting it at your local bookstore or library. I hope you’ll check it out.

Keep On Keeping On

On this note, I’m off of here to start on my next project – my event poster. I hope that whatever you choose to do with your Friday and weekend that you remember to stick with your goal, keep coming back to it when you get sidetracked or pulled away from it, and remain calm – everything will work out if you stick with the plan. It may not be exactly when you wanted, but it will get done. Deep breaths and silent mantras for success and for relaxation!

Love & hugs, Virg

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If you’re in the George West, Three Rivers area of Texas on Friday and Saturday, November 4 & 5, 2022, I’ll be the Live Oak County Coliseum at the Brush Country Market Days’ book nook. Be sure to stop by for a visit, author autograph, and photo with yours truly!!