Rules I live by:

It is often that I am asked how it's possible that I have my hand in so many different things without losing my mind. I am the office manager for 2 restaurants and for one of those restaurants I am the events coordinator, I help with administration/promotion/database entry for my friends' yoga studio, my husband and I own a construction business, I am finishing my business degree, I am on the committee for the Young Professionals Network through the Chamber of Commerce and I tend to wind up helping with various events for family and friends. Why do I do all of this? I love it. I love all of it. But, sometimes I get exhausted. I don't claim to be any type of guru on how to manage the busy beast but here are some rules I live by:

1. Learn to say no. seriously. It took me years to say that word and accept that I wasn't mentally capable to take on what I wanted to.

2. If you want to do something, understand that you must also want the sacrifices.

3. Work is not number one. Whoever lives under your roof and those related to them or you, are. Make sure your actions reflect that you truly believe that.

4. Aside from the regular/daily/monotonous chores, do something irregular around the house. ie: once the laundry/dishes/floors/whatever it is you do on a daily basis is done do something extra like scrub the tub or organize the linen closet. It'll make you feel truly accomplished.

5. Feeling stressed? Busy day? Wear pretty underwear. No one will know why you have a little extra pep in your step, but you will, and now you're super woman.

6. Commit to doing something that you've never done before. It can be extreme like base jumping or sky diving but also something small like taking an extra long lunch or trying out a new restaurant. New experiences tend to revitalize.

7. Have a sense of humor. Life is way too short to be tightly wound. Look like a fool, laugh (hard) every day. Seriously, the only one who cares that you look poised every day is you. Lighten up!

8. Communicate throughout a stressful situation, instead of at the end of one. Don't let stress or frustrations build up until you blow. Use your brain before you use your mouth and take a break if you need to.

9. Sometimes you doesn't matter. This is a humbling one. If you're able to go on and on about yourself, learn to shush. Put yourself aside more often than you put yourself as numero uno.

10. Exercise. I know, it's terrible. So awful to exert yourself but in the words of Elle Woods "exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy, happy people don't just kill their husbands, they just don't." This is a good one for yourself and your husband. Get off the couch, you'll be happy and won't kill your husband. And make it fun! Jog around your neighborhood with your ipod as loud as it'll go and sing your heart out. Take a class that kicks your butt without you knowing it.

11. Fill your life with positive input. Friends, family, tv shows, music, faith, experiences. What you input, you output. You reap what you sow. You are the company you keep. You know the quotes, .. basically your attitude and words are a direct reflection of the things that you choose to surround yourself with. So choose and weed out wisely.

12. Plan ahead. Doing things last minute is stressful and expensive. Make lists, be organized (or try to) and don't worry if you forgot something. You may be able to do without it.

13. God. This should be number one but I'm going to be honest in saying that it generally takes a whole lot of me to get out of the way until I fully rely on Him. There is not any one person in this world that is capable of all that I need. But He is. I don't try to trick myself into thinking that being busy is fulfilling or that my husband is capable of filling all of my needs. Jeremy is off the hook but God is happy to be on it. I'm only able because He is through me. I am whole because He is in me and I have joy because He gave it to me. And I am beautiful in my incompletion and imperfection because I am His creation.




There's my list of rules. Pretty standard. But now you know :))