Mid-year is good time to say "Hey Girl! Where are you?"

Accountability keeps you on track and to forgives you as you adjust some expectations if you went way overboard (GUILTY of that over here!). Also, you might have tried some things that didn’t work as planned and you need to take that into consideration for the remainder of the year.

How many times are you frustrated and just go buy something new rather than search through the crowded, junky spaces for it?

Guilty here!

So, clean your small spaces and make them more useful. This non-clutter makes it easier for you to find what you need and your stress level will be lots lower when you open the closet and nothing falls out.

I’m not sure if it’s just the point in my life right now or if it was 2020...but either way, I’ve been fighting burnout for a bit.

What about you? Are you sitting there in your PJs for the third day in a row, wishing you bought two gallons of milk for all the cereal you have been eating? I mean, cereal is the breakfast of champs, so why not have it for all three meals?

If this sounds familiar, then you are probably experiencing some burnout or overwhelm.

I’m not sure if it’s just the point in my life right now or if it was 2020...but either way, I’ve been fighting burnout for a bit.

What about you? Are you sitting there in your PJs for the third day in a row, wishing you bought two gallons of milk for all the cereal you have been eating? I mean, cereal is the breakfast of champs, so why not have it for all three meals?

If this sounds familiar, then you are probably experiencing some burnout or overwhelm.

When you look up qualities of an effective leader, there are a lot that ring true as things I learned about being a mother.

I learned how to talk to people on the level they are on. What is their skill level, experience, and ability to understand the language I was speaking? Talking to a four year old about complex regulations or machinery is totally different than speaking to a 40 year old industry expert. It makes you think outside the box when giving examples and tests your knowledge of the big words you use every day.

Our society places value on individuals that take risk, seek entrepreneurship, and display creativity. BUUUUUUT it also sends women messages to be a hard worker that doesn’t speak up, a mother that sacrifices her needs for her family, and a friend that never says no. The fake appearance of this self can drain your happiness faster than anything else.

Merriam Webster has many definitions for this popular “L” word. The one that is most closely associated with the majority of the “acceptable societal view” is the definition of love as a strong affection for another- to hold dear.

Almost all of the definitions refer to this feeling about another person or to be on the receiving end of this feeling from another. I wonder why there is not a definition that includes affection for oneself.

You see it coming (sometimes) and it's hard to stop the weeks, months, or years of events that got you to this point. Do you really want to get on the bullet train where things blur past and you can’t see what is happening around you?

How does it happen and what did I do about it? Better yet, what could I have done to slow down, stop, or hopefully avoid it happening?

If I took a half-day or heaven forbid, a WHOLE day to myself to do nothing...I had major guilt. The kind of guilt that pushed me into hyperdrive the next day or two to “make up” for being sooooo lazy. 

Most of all, I wanted to stay busy, TAKE CONTROL, and plan it ALLLLLLL down to the last detail! All those feelings made me like a voracious contestant that had three pots of coffee before stepping into a twisted productivity game show where winning meant checking off everything on your to-do list and your 10 closest friends.

Resolutions are not made in my house. This is the third or fourth year that I will not be making resolutions. They were never kept so why spend so much time and energy preparing for ONE specific day of the year to say “I’m going to do ALL these things starting tomorrow” then in a few weeks be stressed out and burnt out trying to overhaul your life. So this year, just like last year, I’m banning resolutions in the Patton household.

Why do most introverts dislike small talk?

Have you ever left a gathering completely pumped up and ready to chat all night?

What about leaving a similar gathering totally drained and in need of a drink or a mind-numbing night on the couch?

Is there really such a thing as an extroverted introvert???

Yes. Yes. And I have no idea but I’ve been giving it some (ok, a lot of) thought lately.

Most days I feel like I’m a pretty good mom. There are days where I want to make pancakes from scratch and have cookies with breakfast. I want to make great memories with my kids since we are not a two-parent home. Then there are days I just want to tell my kids if they can’t make it themselves, then they just don’t eat it. I’m not always in the mood to make cookies at their beck and call. So that leaves me wondering on those days, am I a bad mom?

What does it mean to trust your gut?

You know when you get the knot in your gut about a decision and later you regret that decision? That is your body, your intuition telling you NOT to do what you are about to do.

Why does this happen? It is your inner guide, your higher power, God, the universe...whatever you want to call it, it is telling you to PAY ATTENTION!

When you stuff your feelings, it’s like waiting for an explosion until you finally reach the amount you can stuff. I visualize it as an older suitcase that you put in all things you had. Then you get more stuff to shove it...it barely closes then but before you know it you are opening it to shove something else in and finally it won’t shut. So you put the suitcase on the floor, hop up and down on it trying to get the clasp to reach and finally….

Looking for great gifts from small businesses? As usual, I’ve you covered.
Check out this post for more small businesses and deals for this holiday season.

We always think about things we have to do at home to prepare for the holidays, but what about the things at work? We know there are always things that we’ve put off until we are preparing to go on vacation! and then they needed to be done yesterday. So what happens? We make a list.

AH…lists! This is the story of a love-hate relationship with productivity.

What is self-care anyway? Sounds woo woo.

I don’t think I ever heard that term until I was in my mid-20s. How could that be? Until it hit me, we as women are constantly putting ourselves LAST.

To this day, I still don’t know when my mom really takes a break and does something totally and completely for herself. Not sure I know for the other older women around me either.

But after everything I’ve learned since becoming a Certified Health Coach (CHC), I now know that,

SELF CARE IS ESSENTIAL.

Speaking of essential, it’s 2020 and everything is essential.

We’ve been in a global pandemic during an election year with major civil unrest around the world and a pretty abnormal school year for most of us so…I would be lying if I said it wasn’t a struggle some days. It’s been SEVEN LONG months of adjusting at my house. How about at yours? For most of us, any one of the things above are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the answer of “what’s been going on?” How are you REALLY doing?

Do you want a career that helps you play to your strengths? What about a career that is perfect for you? Finding a job that lights you up is easy but you then worry about making money. So you take a job that provides you the external benefits to pay bills, meet the mortgage obligation, etc.

At some point YOU made that decision so you can’t blame your teachers, bosses, and obligations for the situation you find yourself in. It is never too late to make a change that helps you build a successful (monetary as well as the intangible happiness that you seek) career and fulfilling life.

If you are not part of the Facebook Group (Passionate Lifers) to attend the September Event Series...You are missing out! I’ll give you a taste of what is going on in there and I invite you to attend. Topics such as: Guided Meditation, Narcissism, Holistic Health, Self-Inclusion, and more!