Treading Water
Life was busy.
REALLY busy!
Months ago, I had said “yes” to several things that at the time seemed spread fairly far apart. They seemed incredibly doable.
Now that the time had come however, I realized that the timing was actually pretty horrible, and life was chaotic.
Three major events over the span of three weeks. All requiring more prep work than I anticipated.
At the same time, I had failed to factor in the start of school. As a homeschool mom and a tutor for one of the programs my daughter attends, this was a big oversight. As any teacher knows, school requires a lot of planning. Curriculum reviewed and prepared, lessons organized. I had been working on these all summer, and I thought I was going to be prepared.
While the curriculum itself was ready, attitudes were not. Neither my daughter or I was truly prepared for the change in our schedules. The need to change our daily schedule to get back into the new routine. The resistance from my 10-year-old was pretty intense, which in and of itself was a lot. Then I had to factor in all of the other commitments at the same time.
All of the sudden, a very “doable” schedule seen from a distance seemed like a tsunami when in the thick of it.
I was treading water – barely.
The waves of life and overwhelm were threatening to take me under. And the worst part? It was mostly self-inflicted. What had once seemed like a good idea was now about to drown me.
Thankfully, those weeks passed. I didn’t drown, and we now have a reasonable school rhythm. The events were each a huge success, and retrospectively, I have a lot to be proud of and thankful for.
The waves have calmed, and we’re back to relatively smooth sailing.
Those few weeks weren’t without cost, however.
My brain is still healing from it’s big insult in January, and the resultant fatigue was much more significant than I had expected. I fell behind on everything, including writing for this blog.
For several weeks, simple daily activities felt like too much, and I had to practice every bit of my coaching knowledge on myself to re-right life.
I feel I’m mostly back now, although I’m still adjusting to the new “normal” 2025 has brought. And that’s okay.
I’m prepared with greater knowledge of myself. With greater knowledge to share with others.
Because I don’t just talk the talk, I’ve walked the walk.
I’m imperfect, and I’m learning constantly.
While some may see that as a weakness, I see that as a strength.
Because as I guide my clients, I’m not just talking theory from a book or a podcast. I’m daily practicing application. What works for me, what works for others.
If you’re feeling like you’re drowning in the waves if life, I can relate. I hear you. I see you.
Life is busy, we can’t stop that.
But we can control how we respond to life.
We can choose to let the waves take us, or we can reach for a life line and start our swim to shore.
If you need a life-line, I’m here for you. I’m not perfect. I’m practiced.
I’ve made it back to shore yet again, and I’m here to help you if you’re still struggling.
You don’t have to navigate the chaos alone. Let’s start your swim to shore today.
