I am the epitome of a “woman on the go” (as in, I am a woman, who is constantly on the go…) I’m in Love with To-Do lists… IN LOVE. To-Do lists are pretty much how I survive day to day, I don’t know if I would function well without them… and sadly, I’m not even kidding about that.

I am not good at relaxing, I am overwhelmed by the feeling of guilt whenever I’m not Productive. We can’t even be going out to do one thing, before I’m 3 steps ahead planning out the rest of my day. Sometimes, I’m so focused on what’s coming next, that I forget to enjoy what’s happening now.

SO – I decided I needed to check myself into “productivity rehab.” I know that sounds counter-productive, but I have been so focused on “doing” that I forget to enjoy “being.” So, what does that mean?

Well, first of all, I’ve been doing Chalene Johnson’s SMART Success Academy, and it has been amazing (seriously, some of the best money ever spent!). I’ve posted a few other blogs about my progress with SMART academy (Here, Here and Here), but the biggest thing I’ve learned is how to compartmentalize my time and prioritizing correctly. So, when I’m working, I’m working hard… and when it’s time for a break, or to relax, or enjoy time with my friends / family / husband, I can be present in the moment. It’s also about re-defining success, success doesn’t mean working without a breather, it’s about working smarter!

Secondly, we’ve been saying no to more things, so that the things we do make time for – we can really enjoy. I was also a chronic overbooker, sometimes we would book 3 or 4 things in the same day (which in reality would have been impossible to happen anyway) and then would be so exhausted from days of running around, we’d have to cancel everything last minute and spent the day sleeping (MEGA waste of time). What I’ve found out it, by prioritizing who and what I say yes to, I can use my time more wisely, so when I am at these events or spending time with loved ones… I can REALLY be present.

Finally, I am devoting some extra fun time to my husband. We both have really big dreams and goals, so, whenever we have a chance to be productive, we try to be. Daniel is better at relaxing than I am and doesn’t suffer from a guilty conscience about it. He is by no means lazy, but when he is taking a break (usually) he can be in the moment and enjoy it. I used to resent this about him, but after a while I realized I wasn’t mad because he wasn’t being productive, I was resentful because I was JEALOUS! Jealous that I couldn’t relax without feeling guilty about it. So, what did I do about it? I asked him to teach me how to relax. We started with video games. I’ve always been a good ol’ fashioned side scrolling Nintendo lover, so we started with first person shooter games. I’m not the most coordinated, but we had many zombie-shootin’ lessons, and I have to say, I’ve gotten pretty decent! We even played through all of Left 4 Dead! And this quality time has really been great for us, especially since he’s in school 5 nights a week and our time together is limited (work, homework, photography, etc…) when we DO spend time together, I want it to be sweet – even if it’s short.

I’m still a work in progress, but I am getting there. Enjoying the moment, has actually made my work time so much more productive than before. I’m well rested, much happier, much less stressed, and really feeling like I’m living life whilte the life of my dreams (and fully enjoying the ride!)

So… are you a list person? Do you chronically overwork yourself?  How do you prioritize your time for fun?

XOXO,

Danie

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