Slightly Off-Balance

I often make lists of the goals I want to accomplish for the day and set up a schedule to get everything on the list done.   I think that if I reach all my goals, I will get some time to relax and find balance… 

I then realize the absurdity of my goals and the fact that the list ensures NO balance!  What mother of two young children, working or not, is all caught up and has a moment to relax?!  We don’t catch up while are kids are still young, just the way we don’t sleep through the night!  So the goal is not checking everything off, but rather prioritizing the list.  In my true OCD fashion I have devised a plan to accomplish a few things, while maintaining balance.  This is my list (followed be a few revisions in italics) for tomorrow:

• Rise at 6:30 am, eat a healthy breakfast, shower before the kids get up, check Facebook Wake up when the kids wake me up because I will stay up too late tonight working and catching up on Tivo
• Snuggle with my kids until yoga Put the kids in my bed and let them watch a movie while I snuggle and try to sleep until 7:50 then park them in front of a movie so I can get in a half-ass shower where I sort-of shave my legs
• Cancel my 8:00 am conference call so I can do the 8:00 yoga class at the gym  Who am I kidding, I have to be on that conference call! Plus, I can’t remember how to get to the gym…
• Attend 8:00 am meeting Call in for meeting at 8:10 because I have to jump out of the shower with conditioner in my hair and shaving cream on my legs to break up the kids fight over what movie to watch, tracking soap and shaving cream through my bedroom and almost slipping on the bathroom tile
• Get dressed and put on make-up during my 9:00 call  Start my 9:00 meeting in my bathrobe with wet hair, eat off my kids breakfast plates, with my work phone on mute.
• Meetings from 8-5.  While on these conference calls, I will try to get work done, keep up on email, write thank you notes, fold laundry.  Get dressed and do my makeup.  Experience has taught me to mind the headset cord on my work phone when trying to put my shirt on!
• 5:00 Throw my air-dried lion’s mane in a messy chic pony tail
• 5:05 Help get the kids ready for dinner and leave for sushi with the girls at 5:15. Kiss my kids and husband and leave early so I can have a drink with my girlfriends before dinner
• 8:00 Return home in time to kiss the kids goodnight and start working.
• 8:30 Return from sushi after the kids are in bed so I can avoid the battle, will sit in my girlfriend’s car gossiping to kill time if necessary
• Clean out my closet, finish my work from the day Realize I am tipsy, skip cleaning the closet and turn off my laptop to avoid saying anything inappropriate on work email

You may be asking yourself –  how this is balance? I may not get as much done with the revised schedule, but I’ll have more fun!

Suggestions to the schedule accepted! 😉