For those of you with children starting/returning to school – this article is for you! For the rest of you – keep reading because I think you will still get a lot out of it 🙂 Last year when Jude started kindergarten, I found the transition incredibly tough. It took me months to get some kind of a system down in terms of dealing with paperwork, homework, school activities and work time! Fortunately, I don’t think it will take as much time this year, but this week has still been tough with Ella starting school too. On paper I have more time, but in reality between new schedules, parent-teacher meetings, required physicals (and the list goes on) – this momma is exhausted!
What I realized right off the bat this week was to let go of all expectations. This isn’t the week to stop drinking coffee or go on some special diet 🙂 It’s not about keeping the house in tip top shape. It’s about surviving.
We’re pretty good at creating systems in our house that help us thrive. For instance, laundry is done twice a week so that we don’t feel like we’re constantly doing it. Banking & budgeting are done once a week so that we can stay on top of it and having a plan in place prevents the feeling of it hanging over our heads 🙂 BUT when a new transition is happening – especially when the whole family is involved – all bets are off!
Cut yourself a break, lower your expectations and think of surviving instead. When you shift your thinking to what you need to do to survive, you automatically take away the pressure you’ve been putting on yourself. Think a bout what can slide and let it. Think about what absolutely has to be done and do the minimum. Making sure the kids get enough sleep, and are fed, clothed and out the door on time can be enough!
This applies to your business too. This likely isn’t the week to start a new project or do something new. Focus on the revenue generating projects you have on the go now and implement each step until the project is complete. Do not start a new project until the other others are finished. This is a great rule regardless of whether or not school just started 🙂
Get some rest. New school routines mean new routines for everyone not just the kids. Getting enough sleep is imperative. You really want to make sure that you’re as productive as you can be during your work hours, and that you have enough energy for your personal duties afterward. Green smoothies help with this too – but who had time to make them this week?!
Map out your schedule and put systems in place as soon as you can. Schedule time into your schedule to make this happen. This was my saving grace last year. When the ginormous “homework” file came home that first Monday each week, I would tackle it right away and not let it sit there. I felt more organized and in control. This might seem trivial but 1) you didn’t see the size of that folder and 2) it’s the little things that sometimes have a huge impact.
Know that you will survive and things will get easier soon. Just knowing and trusting this is true, will make a big difference. You can let go of the stress and anxiety because you know your life will get easier soon. Cut yourself a break wherever you can at home and in business. Next week is a whole new week!