What it’s REALLY Like Having 3 Jobs

It’s 7am and my phone alarm goes off. I stumble downstairs to throw on a pot of coffee and toast waffles for Juliana, go back up and toss on my clothes from yesterday (they’re on the floor and the first thing I see), dig through Juliana’s dresser for matching socks, then wake up my baby for Pre K. We hug and laugh and she’s happy to get dressed because it’s down to her waffles. Just before we leave I remember the forms we need to fill out for school. I go through and mechanically sign everything, scoop up Juliana and head out the door.

When I get back to my desk for work, I realize I made a mistake- Juliana had a dental cleaning but it’s too late to get her and get to the dentist’s. Ridge is at our old condo cleaning so I call him, then reluctantly phone the dentist to get a new appointment, feeling terrible Juliana has to wait another few weeks for her cleaning and bad about throwing off the hygienist’s schedule.

On me: ruffle cold shoulder top // necklace // jeans (similar here and here)
On Juliana: pullover // skirted leggings

I blame myself for not waking up earlier to check my calendar, then go back to work til noon, when I peel myself away for Pure Barre. Work’s been crazy since starting my new role and I feel I ought to stay, but with traveling Wednesday- Friday I feel obligated to work out. Before blogging, barre was my escape- the 55 minutes minutes where I could tune out the world. Now it’s where I plan out the rest of my week like a jigsaw puzzle in my head. I don’t mind, though. I’m leaving for Baltimore Wednesday so I think about what I have to get done between now and then for the blog, and where I can fit in what.

I head back to my first conference call after lunch then hunker down for the afternoon. Ridge comes back with Juliana shortly after 5, I shut my laptop and the three of us hang out and eat leftovers. Eventually Juliana asks for Ridge’s phone and I head to my computer to write this post while Ridge talks football with his dad over the phone. I feel bad I’m not on the floor playing with Juliana, but I justify it by telling myself she learned all day and is happy enough hanging right beside me.

On days like today (which to be honest is pretty much every day), as cheesy as it sounds that old Phil Vassar song Just Another Day in Paradise pops into my head and I smile because that’s our life and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Before I started blogging I had NO EARTHLY CLUE what it took and what a time investment it would be. I also had no idea how MUCH I would love it. But then there are those two people I love much, much more…and that career I’ve built over ten years I’m proud of.

“So what gives?” I’m ask myself. I feel I never have time to do all three the way I want.

Sometimes I wonder if I’d ever want to blog full time, but I love the my career, Turkey Hill, and the professional opportunities for growth and development. So really, unless I give up the blog (which I 100% don’t want to do!) it looks like I’ll be doing my three jobs for a while to come.

Here’s the crazy blessing in it all, though: after a year and a half of the triple juggle, despite feeling overwhelmed, like I’m losing my sh** half the time, and guilty over stuff like the dentist this morning, I’ve never been happier. I think it’s because I’ve finally learned to let go of what doesn’t matter and focus on who and what does.

Here’s the biggest things I’ve learned about life since blogging:

1. You need to unplug to truly live in the moment. This is especially true if you have a little one, because time goes by so fast. After being glued to my phone for the last several years, saturation from the social media aspect of blogging has forced me to unplug. Around September I realized I needed to spend less time on my phone and I started leaving it at home or deleting my social media apps over the weekend. Unplugging has really helped me get present but it’s something I never thought about before.
2. Mindset is everything. It’s crazy how much we’re capable of when we set out minds to it and turn the “can’ts” to “cans”. Sometimes during a plank at Pure Barre, the instructor will say “You’re stronger than you think”, or “Your mind gives up before your body does”- that applies to so much in life! I think beause I want so badly to be the mom Juliana deserves, have a carerer AND do this blog, I’ve found creative ways of fitting it all in I never would have discovered if I’d approached it from the “it’s too much” perspective. Even though I’ve discovered the importance of having the right mindset, to be honest I still struggle with this. There are many times a week where I have to consciously change my mindset and outlook from pessimism to optimism, from negativity to positivity.
3. Getting enough sleep is a game changer. Remember this post from September? Since then I’ve gotten a lot better about getting 7 hours of sleep at night, even if it means missing a blog post here and there. After going through months of sleep deprivation, I find I’m much sharper and more productive when I’m getting enough sleep (and not spending so much on under eye concealer…lol!)
4. Planning is worth its weight in GOLD. Planning is something I’m still not that good at, but I made it a New Year’s resolution and I’m gradually getting better. Whether it’s a mommy daughter date, a work presentation, or a blog post, or I’ve taking the time to plan things out saves so much time and reduces a lot of stress for me.
5. Goal setting is the only way to achieve what you REALLY want. I’ve always known this, but I’ve become far more aware of the important of goal-setting since starting a blog. In order to grow page views, income, etc. I’ve noticed I HAVE to set specific goals to stay on track. No goals = no growth (or at least not the growth I want). This lesson I’m finding totally applies to other areas of my life, too.

Chances are you’re already familiar with these 5 concepts (I know I’d heard a million times how important sleep is) but shifting it from concept to practice was the breakthrough for me.

All that said, I’m still a WIP, y’all!

But I can’t wait to keep sharing as we grow together.

Love always,

Terra

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