3 Months In

 Three months into the new year.  It’s flying by and part of me feels like I’m missing it.  Do you ever wish time would stand still?  Or at least slow down to give you time to catch up?  I have added so many things to my plate and most days I feel like I’m on auto-pilot.  Not a complaint, just an observation.  I really do need to find a way to enjoy each moment and stop constantly thinking about what is next on my to-do list.  Hopefully, that is not something that is easier said than done.

In January, I did a full court press on my job search and landed a full-time job in government contracting which I started at the end of February.  I decided to hang on to my two part-time jobs for a couple of reasons: (1) my job at the fitness center allows me to continue personal training and teaching fitness classes which is the one thing that I’m really passionate about.  I do this job twice a week and every other Saturday; (2) my job at the Y allows me to keep the free gym membership and I only work 3 hours a week … I can do that with my eyes closed.

Today I executed a contract to do some consulting work for a former co-worker.  I can do this in my “spare” time and I negotiated a very attractive hourly rate … so yeah, there’s that.

I scheduled an appointment with a Director of a local low income housing project.  He contacted me because some of his residents were interested in exercise classes and he wanted to know if I was interested in volunteering some time.  The residents range in age from late 30’s to early 60s.  I would love to do this so I’m looking forward to getting started with that.  I’m thinking I can do an hour (maybe two??) a week.

I also volunteer at church a few Saturdays a month.

Then there’s Bae.  Fortunately, he is very understanding.  Especially, since he has just as much going on as I do.  Not to mention he still has children living under his roof – which is something I no longer have to worry about.  It can be challenging but we manage to get our date nights in when we need to.  We are planning a getaway in July and we both have separate family vacations on the schedule this summer.

This is a huge adjustment from how I was living two years ago.  A welcomed adjustment.  I feel useful.  Needed, even.  After the kids left, that feeling decreased significantly.  They still need me but it’s different.  No more the lady of leisure(?).  I have to earn my restful moments and when I get them I couldn’t be happier.  Today (Friday) I got up at 4:30 after very little sleep and updated my online fitness group with April’s workouts while I got ready for work.  I got to work at 7:30, left at noon for a meeting to finalize the consulting gig, got back to my office at 1:45 (where I am writing this blog post … ssshhhhh).  I’ll leave here at 4:30 and head to gym for about an hour.  Get home, shower, eat, twist my hair and relax for the rest of the night.  The weekend will fly by and then Monday will be here and it will start all over again.

The goal is to enjoy my moments when I can and hopefully at the end of the next three months I’ll have it figured out.