The More You Do. . . The More You Can Do. . .

I'm talking just about everything. Exercise, read, pray, work, play…whatever.

I have four kids…two are grown and gone and then twin 10 year old boys. We stay very active with their schedule of events. I even have to keep a Google Calendar for them, me, Dad, and other events so we can make sure we coordinate things…(It's also great to share with their closest friend's parents so if they want to know the boys can do something, you can usually pull up their calendar and tell, then email me.) In addition to the kids swimming, basketball, soccer, flag football, school activities, church activities, etc…..Dad is in school full-time, so I keep his class schedule on there and both of us work fulltime also. I serve on our pool Association BOD and in the past have been a PTF Fundraiser and a School Board director.----And all of those at the same time!

I'm no longer on the School board or the PTF fundraiser. The kids are only swimming and playing basketball right now. So why do I feel just as busy as when I cram in the other stuff? I figure it's the same philosophy of economics…you learn to live with what you have and adapt. I remember making $20k a year right out of high school….thought I was breaking the bank! I worked and went to school, both full-time, and had a baby (at 17---another story). My husband then (yep, I was married at 17) made another 25k. Our house payment (we did buy a house when I was 17 and he was 21—my MOM had to sign the contract for me since I was underage and not married when we put the contract in)…was $396 a month… J We were scraping by paycheck to paycheck but we did it. 20 years later, $396 wouldn't even pay my car payment right now…… and by no means do we scrape by, but if my husband or I lost our jobs, we'd be doing a little reorganizing. We've learned to live on our new income. Could I go back to 45k a year? If I had to….but I surely don't want to.

Same thing with our time……once I find a way to fit things in, I become accustom to it…and its second nature. Changing would require a lot of work………….

Its what I keep in my head while trying to form the new healthier habits I need to: exercise, eat well, rest, and relax. I'm a planner. I actually "schedule" these things on my Google calendar. But you know what? IT WORKS! I can plan around my kids activities, games, etc…and my other passion –"LOST"--- so if working out is on the calendar from 6-8pm and I've scheduled everything around it…..if I try to cancel it, I really feel badly because its not just me that's made concessions, its my whole family.

It might not work for everyone, but it does for me.