Superwoman Syndrome

Are there ever enough hours in the day to create the success you want and still have the energy for a fulfilling life after work? Most folks would say no, there aren’t, but I’m suggesting that it’s really a matter of choice. You can choose how you want to spend your time and doing so will determine the quality of your days. When I find myself talking to my sister about my latest (mis)adventure or newest idea she is just in awe of “all” I do – while somehow overlooking her multiple roles as wife, mother, daughter, oldest sister, mentor, Sunday school teacher, full-time career as a senior manager and now caretaker for her ailing mother. Whew! Doesn’t that make you exhausted just thinking about what that might entail? So much in the quality of life involves just paying attention to the way you spend your time of course, but also to the world around you. Notice how bright the sun is. Notice the flutter of the leaves in a soft breeze. And on a more serious note, notice what you’re cooking! Just this morning I was having a rare “Betty Crocker moment” and decided to also cook dinner while I was preparing breakfast! Once again I’ve decided to cut carbs so I was cooking my last batch of Cream of Wheat – way up there on my list of favorite breakfasts - at the same time that I was making baked beans for dinner. Somewhat absentmindedly I reached for the garlic powder and shook it into the pot of Cream of Wheat! Well, as I said, it was my last batch so I ate it anyway, but it was not exactly how I would choose to prepare it. (Actually, it wasn’t so bad after all – just the merest hint of garlic came through.) So when you find yourself living on caffeine, just to get through one more meeting, one more crisis; when you find yourself thinking you have to schedule getting sick at a more convenient time (writing this while nursing one of my infrequent annual colds) remember a few key things: Don’t get hung up on perfection; it’s more about actually just having the experience and enjoying the process. I participated in my first (okay, turns out it was also my last) half-triathlon a couple of years ago. Now, to look at me you’d think I’m particularly fond of my couch, not your typical athlete. But in my mind, I’ve still got it and I will get up and put myself out there any day of the week. For the event I trained with a group of like-minded women for about three months until the big day arrived. The crowd was thick with participants and well-wishers. High hopes were in the air. The swimming was the first leg of the race, but unfortunately I was in the last “heat,” and had to watch the other swimmers start, and wait (and wait) anxiously to get in the water. Did I forget to tell you I’m no graceful dolphin in the water? Until then I’d only trained in a nice, clean, chlorinated swimming pool with goggles. And a nose plug -- which failed to cooperate and kept slipping off while I was in the water. So between rolling over to float on my back to fix my nose guard and detangle myself from the underwater plants (eeww!) they had to pull me out of the lake. (I didn’t know it before, but if you stop more than twice they will yank you unceremoniously out of the water. Mortifying!) But I went on to finish the bicycle leg, and then the running portion over hills and valleys. I was so proud of myself. It wasn’t pretty, but I did it. I took the time out of my schedule to meet and greet, to train, to participate, and to finish. Now your “thing” may not be the next great race, but there’s probably something you’ve been wanting to do, but you keep putting it off because you’re waiting for the stars and the planets to align and for just the right time. The right time is now. Just do it. Learn to relax with a vengeance. I have found that when I am mentally exhausted, too tired to read or nap, I can decompress by playing video games. Now I don’t mean hours spent in front of the game console, I mean spending some time while commuting (hey, on public transit – not while driving!) fooling around with the games on your iPod or cell phone. Careful, though – Bubble Breakers is addictive! But really, concentrating on a little competition with yourself makes the day fade away to a faint background hum (at least for a little while). Multi-tasking is not a sin. I don’t know any other way. If I’m not doing multiple activities, I feel like I’m being lazy. Right now I am writing this article while wearing my Bluetooth so I can talk to my son so I can read and comment on his (great) blog. Did you ever watch the comedic variety show In Living Color? One repeated skit was about Jamaican siblings who had 20 or so “jobs.” Well, the Wayans brothers made it sound very funny at the time and while I am certainly not thinking about having 20 jobs, I think I can handle multiple tasks at a time and keep all those balls in the air without dropping any or making myself crazy. Additionally, in today’s economy, it pays to diversify your income so that you can improve your standard of living, plus you’ll likely find that you have more choices by developing additional skills, networking contacts – and potential clients - not to mention the additional revenue streams to improve your bottom line! You really don’t have to do it all yourself, multi-tasking notwithstanding. Of course you should use the time management tools available (such as laptops and a computerized calendar you can view on your cell or PDA). But also consider finding a virtual assistant. Such a service can be a godsend for handling many functions from the routine letter to the mountainous report. Just think about all the little routine matters that you “must” handle, but find that they keep you from being with your clients, selling and building your business. It’s more affordable than you think. Depending on the particular specialty of the assistant, administrative functions and back office support can be a real breeze when you outsource the mundane, but necessary details, thereby freeing your time to focus on your core moneymaking activities and marketing. So, ignore any creases in your cape. Just fling it over your shoulder and wear it proudly while you handle your biz! 2008-11-28T00:10:21Z

-14.6672

396 2360

true

20422

superwoman-syndrome

2008-12-02T03:02:11Z

Are there ever enough hours in the day to create the success you want and still have the energy for a fulfilling life after work? Improve the quality of your days by choosing how you spend your time.

Superwoman Syndrome

2009-02-24T09:47:28Z