Oh, hey Tuesday! | "How do you do it ALL?"
Earlier this year or near the end of 2018, I posted on social media asking what people wanted to know about me for my blogs this year. I did this not because I didn’t have ideas of what to write about, but because I was jonesing for some inspiration from YOU, my readers! Plus, what I want to talk about vs. what you want to read about are two different things. While blogging is therapeutic for me, it is also meant to be for you all as well.
One of the topic concepts mentioned was “I want to know how you do it ALL - you do so much and you make it look easy.” I honestly laughed when I read that notification on my phone and kind of blew by it. But it’s literally the only suggestion I remember. I have spent most of this year moving this topic around on my schedule of blog posts because I’ve been avoiding it. Partially because I don’t think there’s much for me to say, and partially because I don’t think it’s that interesting. But, it’s been on my heart so I decided to just go for it.
My answer, quickly: Not well at all.
I know some of you might say that I’m being hard on myself or not giving myself enough credit. I often hear about how I make doing all that I do look easy, or more often I hear that I’m crazy. ;) Some of you reading this have no idea how I even mean by how do I “do it all”. So, I’ll briefly summarize:
1) I’m a mom to an active 7 year old who enjoys playing outside, sports, being rambunctious, etc.
2) I’m a wife of 12+ years to a guy who happens to also love go go going a lot.
3) I work full-time at a pediatrician’s office as a Clinical Office Manager.
4) I work basically full-time as a wedding photographer.
5) I do surprisingly have a social life, somehow.
The way I typically make it all work is probably not the healthiest of ways (but I’m working on it actively, so don’t worry), is by carving into my sleep, cutting out my social life and also not spending extra time with my husband. Horrible, right? Yes, it is - it’s totally fine to agree. I don’t claim to have all the answers of how to do what I do. But I can tell you after all is said and done the work I provide is rewarding - I just know that others in my life suffer because of it.
Now I mentioned I’m working on it, right? Well - I am! I’m building in time at least once a month to spend an evening with my husband while our son goes to a babysitter. I’m working to find ways to add back in that social life in any way possible - sometimes seemingly unconventional, but it works! :) I can’t make a lot of adjustments with my management job, but that’s perfectly fine. I’m also making some changes with my photography business - which more on that to come later! (You know- content. LOL).
I am incredibly grateful for all the blessings which have been provided to me because of all that I have. While I haven’t been an office manager for five years, I did previously have another full time job which had even stricter hours of operation and far less flexibility than what I have now and still somehow managed to make it all work rather cohesively. I have learned a lot about myself over the last five years in regards to what I’m capable of, what I’m not capable of, my strengths and my weaknesses. I’ve confirmed my crazy (haha), but I also have met some really incredible people amongst all of that crazy which I absolutely love.
So in short, I don’t have an answer for how I do it all, except that I don’t do it well. But with the adjustments I’m working on for the next year in my life, I really think it’s going to be even better and I will be able to say I’m doing it all because I’m just a straight up bad ass. ;)
What else would you like to know about me? Feel free to reach out to me and let me know!
Crazy in chaos,
Amber
