The reframing I’m forcing myself to do this month

In the last two months I’ve traveled more than I have in the last 2 years. I mean, I’m not sure if it’s exactly more than in the two years combined but I can’t even be bothered to add it all up. Suffice to say it feels like it. Since September, I’ve been upstate for a family getaway, flew to Florida for work, Italy for fun, and Wisconsin for work.  I am leaving this Friday for Wisconsin again for a super fun wedding (our resident DJ Lissie is getting hitched!!) Annnnnd we’re just about to head into the craziness of the holidays. Living away from our immediate families means our little family of four hops on airplanes in order to attend all the holiday gatherings. Every year I say “not next year, this is too much,” and then I apparently develop amnesia when the holiday season approaches just a year later and am scrounging for airfare deals and flight times that aren’t horrific.  (Spoiler: they’re all too expensive and bad. There’s no way around this). 

To top it all off, I’m very busy at work and with the personal obligations and volunteer things I take on, and while it is all great and everything is fun and exciting, just keeping my head on straight right now feels like a feat in its own right. Do you ever feel like you’re just spinning plates in the air hoping that they won't end up shattering on the floor? Or perhaps it’s more like…you’re stacking a ton of cards up higher and higher and hoping the whole thing doesn’t collapse in the process? If you’re like me, that’s what this time of year has started to feel like. 

In an effort to manage it all without losing my sh*t in the process, I’m focusing on a few tasks that are absolute must-dos each day, with a “want to do” list a mile long that I give myself grace on. I’m digging down and getting hyper focused on the here and now; not looking at the month ahead. Which for Type-A planner me is incredibly difficult. I’m turning off notifications for hours at a time and blocking out opportunities for myself to buckle down and work on those to-do lists. But I’m also prioritizing myself and my health at least once a day; I’m getting in tennis practice with my girlfriends – it’s good for my body and my brain. I’m carving out an hour for a walk around the park to appreciate the changing leaves and the warmish weather while it’s still here. 

And perhaps the biggest thing I’m doing is trying to change my morning mindset. I love sleep. Hours and hours of it. My husband has very different needs than I do in that department and is all happy and bushy tailed after 4-5 hours. When the kids wake us up before my alarm even goes off, I am deeply annoyed that I was cheated out of more sleep. He, on the other hand, thinks “Great! I can start my day now.” We’ve discussed this – his answer is for me to find a really good pair of earplugs. I have yet to find any that fit comfortably and also the idea of not hearing anything just makes me even more anxious. 

So instead of being annoyed when I wake early, or get woken up early, I’m going to start telling myself “I get to wake up” instead of “I have to wake up.” It’s a subtle shift, but I’m hoping it starts my day with gratitude instead of annoyance, and sets the tone for all my to-dos and ball juggling. I get to do work that I find enjoyable and challenging, I get to travel, and I get to see family and friends. 

On the MTD front, we get to share with you some really great content this month! Founder Melissa Blum is sharing her advice on deciding which client is right for you, we’re exploring how, exactly, one comes back from “cancel culture” these days, and we’ve got a start-up checklist for those of you who may be looking to start a new business soon. We’re so excited to celebrate in-house DJ Lissie Jacobson’s nuptials – she’s putting out a Cuffing Season playlist that is a celebration of all things love (if you’re going through a breakup, we do not recommend listening to this one!). The Manicured Shelf’s Megan Collins is back with the books you absolutely need to add to your cart on Black Friday. We’ll also have a fascinating Q&A with Dr. Natasha Burgert, a pediatrician in Overland Park, Missouri, who has her own take on digital strategy and some of the best advice we’ve heard lately on that front.

I’m so glad that we have the opportunity to share all of this great information with you this month - and hope you find it interesting, entertaining, and helpful. And perhaps, if you also feel a bit like you’re sitting in a burning room, that you’re able to take a bit of inspiration and reframing on your month ahead. I hope there are great things that you get to do as opposed to just things you have to do.  

x

Jamie