Posts tagged ‘overwhelmed’
You’re No Good To Us Dead
This week I sat in a very somber ceremony where we were celebrating the lives of women that had recently died. As I thought about their lives, I wondered how many of these women led the kind of life where they were more concerned with pleasing the people around them than taking time for themselves.
As women, we are often told that what matters is the sacrifice we make for other people – as mothers, wives or friends. I think about my mother, who give all of her time, money and energy to us (her children), family members, her friends and community.
It sounds so wonderful to sacrifice yourself, and continuously give to other people, but when we don’t take time to nurture our dreams and create time for ourselves, we become tired, overwhelmed, disillusioned, or sick. Then we are no good to ourselves or anyone else.
When my children were young I don’t remember taking time to practice daily self-care or knowing what self-care was until two things happened:
- I lost a work colleague to cancer. Our lives mirrored each other’s in many ways: we were both in our 30’s, married with young children and working in corporate America. She seldom took time for herself. Lunch was an opportunity to purchase groceries or finish a project. Birthday gifts were practical household gifts. Everyone talked about how efficient and practical she was, but ultimately she didn’t get to live out her life.
- I went through a divorce about 10 years later. Going through divorce caused me to stop and take time to figure out what was important to me; where I wanted to be and what made me happy. It’s amazing how life crises can cause you to look at your life differently.
You don’t have to wait until a life crisis makes you make positive change in your life. Take time now to do something just for you every day. Begin a physical activity or a hobby that you love and start it today. Why wait? Find your inner Superwoman and nurture her.
Interested in learning more about your family’s dynamics? Contact me – Ms. Parent Guru to receive information about my Finding Superwoman™ programs.
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C. Lynn Williams, #MsParentguru
Family Dynamics Strategist, Author & Speaker
Effectively Managing Thanksgiving Activities
When the holidays occur, does your willpower for time management go out the window? Do you feel that nothing can be done properly unless you do it yourself? That’s a bad feeling especially when you are exhausted, irritable and everybody went to bed hours ago. You make it a point to do everything to make Thanksgiving wonderful, but when the day arrives, you are exhausted, testy and no fun to be around. 
I’ve been there too! The major difference is that I grew up in a household where my mother believed in delegating tasks to my sister, brother and me. It didn’t mean that there weren’t a ton of tasks that only she could take care of, but we all participated. If we didn’t do it to her liking, she taught us how to do it properly. As I hosted Thanksgiving dinners with my own family, I send out the menu and asked who wanted or to make (or purchase) an item. This made our dinners more collaborative and I wasn’t completely stressed out by the time the guests arrived.
Depending on your traditions, Thanksgiving may be a formal affair with tablecloths, silver (yes the kind that has to be polished) and china. Or you may be less formal, but everyone will be at your home and you have lots of food to cook. Either way, here are three tips for effectively managing Thanksgiving activities and preparation without losing your cool.
- Create a list of things that have to be done. (It’s not too late, as long as you create it today!)
- On that list, put names of family members or friends who you can delegate this task to.
- Be gracious with the help that you receive.
#3 is probably just as important as #1 & #2. Being critical of the help you receive, whether it’s cutting up veggies, ironing tablecloths or how someone prepared a dish, makes those who help you, disappear when you need help in the future. If you don’t like the gravy, your daughter-in-law made, keep it to yourself.
Oh and be sure to get to bed at a decent time on Wednesday, so that you can enjoy your family and friends.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I would love to hear how you slayed on Thanksgiving?
When I coach my clients about finding their superwoman, I encourage them to discuss what’s holding them back and determine what is most important in their life: work, family or relationships. If you are struggling with time management and planning, Click Here to schedule a complimentary discovery session with me.
C. Lynn Williams
Award-winning Author & Founder of Finding Superwoman™
www.clynnwilliams.com
Staying Sane While Raising Your Teens 
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