Time out
I took time out of my SuperBusy life yesterday to participate in Girl Scout Day at a ski lodge in Pennsylvania. I packed my briefcase full of work and brought a book to read so that I was set for the day. I intended on ‘relaxing’ in the ski lodge while my husband and kids skiied and snowboarded. I told myself a number of reasons why it was more important for me to stay in the lodge and only pop out once in a while to check in on things. My excuses were many…from I don’t like being outside in the cold weather, to I stink at skiing (least I did last time I skiied 10-20 years ago!), I need to be in the lodge in case someone wants to take a break, and even that it would be too hard on my knees (like running isn’t!?!?).
The weather was beautiful–somewhere in the 50′s. It wasn’t very crowded when we first got there. The conditions were better than I expected. And, I knew that my kids would really love for me to join them rather than staying in the lodge. So, after I got everybody settled with their rental equipment and up the lift chairs, I went back to the car to drop off my briefcase and change into my ski pants (that I brought just in case I changed my mind!). As I saw bus load after bus load pull into the parking lot, I was ready to change my mind again because I didn’t feel like skiing in a crowd or waiting on long lift lines.
Although there were so many reasons to hold back, the strongest most compelling reason not to was that I might have lots of unexpected fun with my family. The work stayed in my briefcase in the car. I focused on just enjoying my self. And, boy did I! I enjoyed being out in the fresh air, casual conversations on the lift chair, thinking about my skiing memories from years gone by when my husband and I first met and were dating, gaining confidence as I went from the bunny slope to the next hill and the next one up from that, and laughing, and laughing some more! My kids were thrilled to see me doing something better than they expected.
No, I’m still not an expert skier; I’ll probably never be because my fear holds me back and I certainly don’t do it very often. However, I have experienced the joy of taking time out and choosing to have fun. I loved being with my family (even though I was always the last one down the mountain!).
I think everyone could sure enjoy time out of their SuperBusy life!
What’s Super Busy??
Naming a book is a bit of a challenging process. When I began writing “Succeeding as a Super Busy Parent” I had a working title that I don’t even remember anymore. However, I do recall that I changed my title several times and in the end selected the title based on input from subscribers to my free weekly e-newsletter.
Just about every time I was out at my children’s activities and events I ran across other parents who told me they were “sooo busy” when I asked them how they were or what was new. It seemed to be a common theme for today’s parents. Parents clearly are busy taking care of their family, home and self, maintaining relationships with others, and working inside or outside of the home. Children are enrolled in many activities that require a high level of commitment from the family, as well as the child. Competitive sports with arduous schedules are offered at increasingly early ages. There’s little time left for anything else!
So, what’s SuperBusy
I’ve been there myself (more times than I want to admit)! I know how frustrating, exhilirating, anxiety-producing, and fun life can be. Utilizing more effective strategies, attitudes and behaviors will help you enjoy life more. I’ll be sharing some tips and strategies, as well as personal mishaps and client stories in this BLOG. I also invite you to share your own experiences as a SuperBusy Parent here in this forum—the good and the bad. We all can learn from each others trials and tributes!
Coach Natalie Gahrmann
Welcome to Coach Natalie’s Blog about Success Stories and Challenges of Super Busy Parents!
