To say I was busy yesterday would be borderline lying.
I had three freelance stories to finish, an interview to conduct, two more to schedule, two dogs to walk, three e-mail accounts to check, stories to pitch and a wedding to plan.
And last night, I served as a panelist for an event put on by Social Wahines and Pacific Business News, where we — Kitty Lagareta, CEO of Communications Pacific, and Frances Nuar, co-founder of socialKINE — discussed strategies for getting media attention.
I was scrambling to get there by 6 p.m., trying to wrap up a few projects, answer the last few e-mails and get a quick walk in with my dogs. And in between all that, I’m tweeting, Facebook-ing and posting pics to Instagram.
This has become my life.
RUSHRUSHRUSH only to get somewhere — like a meeting or workshop — and think about all the other things I have to do.
It’s what happens when you work strange hours, around the clock, in different time zones. I never know what time it is, what day of the week it is, what I’m supposed to do next week. All that matters is right now — and maybe 10 minutes from now — because that’s really all I can handle.
So it was interesting to get the question, “How do you find balance in your life?” at yesterday’s workshop. Kitty reads (a lot) and workouts at least four times a week, all before she starts her workday at 8 a.m. Frances surfs and runs and schedules time for herself.
What do I do?
I watch “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” and hit taiko drums.
Something happened to me in the last few years. There was a time when I would watch movies — in a theater! — and meet friends every weekend. I’d religiously watch “The Colbert Report” and cook dinner almost every night.
Now I’m tweeting during commercial breaks, checking my e-mail at red lights, and updating my Instagram on walks with my dogs.
All this updating and constant connectivity is really draining. I feel like I’m losing myself in a world of status updates and Facebook likes.
I need to find more balance.
Sure, I surf and run and hike and read. But maybe I need to actually schedule time for myself. Get a massage, read a book under a tree, spend an entire day disconnected.
What do you do to unwind? And are you feeling as overwhelmed as me? (Or is it just me…?)
15 Comments
seems like we rush rush rush to get to where we’re going then don’t recognize when we get there. early in our careers, when the rest of life’s constraints haven’t dug in on us yet, we push ourselves at work and push ourselves socially. we’re young and can handle. the hard work often pays off, career wise, and we rise through the ranks at work. the active social life often pays off in the form of a significant other and, eventually, a family.
somewhere down the road, though, we need to assess our lives and decide what balance of the two makes us most happy. there are those that keep up with the sixty hour work weeks, make gobs of money and have a broken family or social life. others swing the opposite way and don’t perform much at all at work but have all the time in the world for family and friends.
personally, I’ve given up some opportunities to advance and/or make more money in exchange for the chance to spend time with my wife and kids. unless the super lotto comes through, i most likely won’t ever be rich, but i think i’ve advanced my career to a point where I make a comfortable living. I’ll never be that parent who is on every school field trip and volunteers for every art show, but i’m able to help out at school here and there, coach my son’s baseball team and cook dinner for my family most nights.
for me, this balance works, but it might not be right for anyone else. everyone has to find a balance that works. pithy t-shirt slogans aside, you can’t have it all, but, with an eye to what is important to your own life, you can have what you really want.
Good Morning Cat,
It seems from time to time you blog about this topic of being fully (overly?) engaged. Take this from an old guy, think about what kind of techno toys were around in the year of your birth & wonder how did people manage. Since I was already an adult in those pre-historic days, I can tell you that we did not try to live life at over 100% on a 24/7 basis. You always have the option of turning off devices & appreciating the quiet unless the addiction is too strong.
Don’t you feel so refreshed after hitting the water, the trail or spending time with friends & family. If you do, then congrats, you still have your center!
Hello Cat!
Your plate is really full but this is the world today, busy, busy, busy, rushing here and there. No wonder you get sick so often. You have to schedule in quiet time for yourself. No tweeter, no FB, no email just relax and recharge……
The first thing I do when I’m trying to unwind is throw away my schedule. Take a day and just do what you want, when you want, and for as long as you want. When you schedule things–even something relaxing like a surf sesh or a hike–there is still that underlying pressure of getting it done and out of the way so that you can take care of other business.
Hey Cat … what the heck is wrong with us!!! … are we not human anymore???…
… when I step out into the world …. what do I see??? …
… emotionless figures … with heads down … into an empty stare … at metal and plastic objects … with thumbs and fingers … seemingly attached … to the glowing screens …
… no chatter … no talking ….
…. are we not human anymore??? …
I saw a lot of that in Japan!
CAT: I retired and feel no need to move or do anything!
I’m just tired…..
I’m “re-tired”. was tired yesterday and am tired again today
Hi Cat,
I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and I’ve always admired how much you seem to fit into a day – work, walking your dogs, taking them to the beach, work, surfing, going for an evening swim, work, traveling, participating in different events, etc. As much as I enjoy reading about what’s going on in your life, and looking at the pictures of your adorable dogs, I have to wonder, are we taking over your life?
I am confident that you will be able to find balance. And if it means that you will be blogging, updating, and tweeting less, we (your fans) will understand :o)
Aw, thanks. I do feel like I’m burning the candle on both ends, as they say. You would think I’d be thinner with all the calories I burn every day! Then again, you should see what I eat! LOL
One wahine’s balance is another wahine’s floor. Maybe this is your new balance????
The Choices we make, govern how we live.
Take a day off, say a Saturday or Sunday, where you are totally “disconnected” like you said. No tweets, blogs, FB, internet. Nothing. TV if you please, or your “me” time to do the things you’ve been missing out due to your schedule.
Should do you a lot of good!
I work in a call center. It’s hand to hand combat, 9-6, everyday. I fight with customers who are trying to weasel out of legally binding contracts. I usually get to work already angry. (We seem to have an extraordinary number of undereducated drivers in my area). Then the angry villagers arrive at my doorstep, pitchforks and torches in hand. Not only do I fight the rabble on the phone but also the sporadically functioning databases and software beloved by my employer. The customers shriek at me because of their frozen contracts and in turn I shriek at my frozen computer – again. At the end of the day I am poked full of holes and scorched. I leave work mentally exhausted, depleted, too tired to get riled at traffic.
I have the time to be faithful with FB, twitter, get glue, and even keep up with episodic TV – I just don’t want to!