Well I guess it is about that time again. It’s been a little while to update what is going on in our lives.
Machelle has gotten another job that she really seems to enjoy. It is a LOT more responsibility, but she is very capable of being an amazing addition to the team at her practices.
I have been accepted in to the Graduate program at ECU for the Online Masters in Business Administration. It begins in the fall, so I guess I have this summer to get any sort of organization and fun things lined up before I get bogged down by school for the next 3 years.
I have decided that we have go to do some decluttering of our house. The house we live in is plenty large for the purposes that we need to use it for—you know like sleeping, eating, and showering—but we have started to let things clutter and there needs to be some serious, serious purging that needs to take place. So I am taking that on as my summer project. I want to have the house as organized and clean and well put together before I start school in August and then will have absolutely no free time.
A few posts ago I wrote a letter to EJ about things that I wanted her to know as she grows older.
Now it is my time to write myself a letter. One that I will force myself to read at least monthly to remind me of things that I need to be focusing on instead of other things that sometimes get in the way.
Here goes:
Dear Mary,
3 years ago, you were not even close to the person you thought you would be as you type this letter to yourself. You spent way too much money on bar tabs and way less money on gym memberships. You had gym memberships, but they often lapsed or you were the equivalent of the people who only go to church on Easter and Christmas. So with that being said, I need for you to read some small pieces of advise that I have to offer you that you know already, but tend to forget when things get hectic.
- Slow down- spend the time after you get home from work playing with EJ and interacting with her instead of worrying about how you are going to get everything packed for daycare the next day. She goes to bed early, you can do that stuff later.
- Be open- well as open as you possibly can be. Don’t squash dreams before they have even entered your brain, or the brain of others. Listen to these ideas and think them through then make a decision.
- Listen- and I actually mean listen. Listen to what your wife has to say to you when she gets home from work, rather than acting like you’re listening while you scroll through 32 emails that can wait until tomorrow. Listen to your child as she is starting to learn new words and wants to know that you are listening to her and praising her for learning these words. Listen to your coworkers and others in your field when they have issues and when they have ideas that they are looking for your feedback on.
- Leave work early- not every day, of course that’s not possible. But take time for your family. One day you are going to wake up and have only your family. Your career and job does not define you. You can’t fix everything over night. Although, sometimes in your line of work, things can creep in to the “EMERGENT” folder in your brain filing system, and when they do these items need to be vetted to make sure they actually are emergent. Do not waste precious time at home with your family, working on something that can wait until tomorrow.
- Organize- get your house, your job, your soon to be school in order so that you are the most efficient. It’s going to be hard to finish your MBA with a disgusting garage or no where to put your tools for success. Everything needs a home. And you need to find this home and then get rid of everything else. There’s no sense in keeping a receipt from 3 years ago. GET IT OUT.
- Get back in touch- everyone’s life is changing rapidly around you–surprise you aren’t the only one. They’ve got kids, husbands, wives, dogs, houses, jobs–just like you (well except for the husband part–no thank you). But the bustle that is every day life does not mean that you can not reach out to them and catch up with how they are doing in their life. If you don’t, you will lose touch with some of the most influential people in your life. Stop saying you will do it next week, do it today or at least before the week ends.
- Make at least 10 minutes a day for yourself. This can be in the car, in the shower, on facebook, or right before you hit the pillow. This is the shortest blurb, but the most important. If you let yourself go, you aren’t going to be able to do anything that you want to accomplish. Treat yo’self.
7 things–not a lot to ask. So stop making excuses about how you can’t get these things done and do it. A well trained monkey can do 7 things. You are slightly smarter than the monkey, so at least that ball is in your court.
You’re strong, you’re brave, you can absolutely conquer this.
I love you
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