Balancing Act

This post was inspired by Thrive by Arianna Huffington who challenges women unplug and sleep more to create a balanced life. Join From Left to Write on March 19th as we discuss Thrive. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

Ohhhh, sleep, how I love the thought of you.  

You elude me when I am most exhausted.  In the middle of the day, when there is no possible way I can stop for a few minutes and rest, there you are.  But at night, when I'm lying in my bed and wait for you, you are not near.  When we do finally meet, it's far too short and often interrupted.  What I wouldn't do to wake up on my own, with no alarm clock shrilling, and feeling rested and refreshed! 


These years we are in with our children are "those" years. The busy years with kids in school, kids in sports, kids that need rides to here, there and everywhere.  It's so interesting to me that I don't work full-time outside the home.....because I don't have time.  I thought my days would be empty once my kids were in school all day, but I feel busier now than I did when they were littles. 

I brought a lot of it on myself: I don't know how to say no when room moms call and ask for help with a project or with chaperoning a field trip.  I have begun volunteering with some causes that mean a lot to me.  None of them are over taxing; a couple hours here, a couple hours there, but it adds up very quickly, until I have made a full time job out of a couple hours of volunteer work. 

I do love my time at the gym.  I've made friends in my early morning workout class, and I love how I feel after working out.  It's critical to my health, both mental and physical, and I can't give it up.  Not even for sleep.  So I get up at 5:00 or 5:15 every weekday morning to go work out, and then my day really gets going.  Weekends I don't usually work out, but getting everyone where they need to be, and taking care of everything I have committed to all day is a workout in itself.

So, this challenge to get 8 hours of sleep a night?  I'd like to say that I did it and it changed my life.  But It simply isn't happening for me, not right now. Balance, for me, consists of flying by the seat of my pants and not forgetting where I left one of my kids!  

No, it's not as bad as that.  But life is seriously busy and hectic right now: three kids, two different school buildings and different school schedules.  Four, no, five sports among the three kids, but that is only till the end of the month, then it will be back to four sports.  A husband who travels 15 days out of the month.  Dinner.  Homework.  Work brought home. Social time with friends. Community service. The list goes on. 

I want to take this challenge and get 8 hours of sleep every night.  Even if I could do it for just a week, I am sure it would make a big difference to me.  I'll keep chipping away at the things I allow myself to commit to.  One of my dear friends told me once, "Say no to the good, so you can say yes to the best."  Meaning, don't commit my time to everything and everyone that asks.  Only commit to those causes and activities that are truly meaningful and do something to make my world a little bit better.  

I'm still working on that whole balancing thing.  I'm not there yet, and I haven't given up.  I'm going to go to bed early tonight.  It's a start, right?