8 ways to win at (my) life!

So there's this sweet little blog I read that is full of inspiration, wisdom, great hair, and just the cutest little dang kids I can't stand it. 

Go there. 

Read it. 

Be inspired. 

Realize that life is beautiful! And that you also want an adorably squishy baby named Avery of your own. 
Then come back here- don't worry, I'll wait! 

Back? Great (thanks for coming back!). Hopefully you read one of her last entries that was full of tips on how to keep a hectic life from running amok (which, in case you're wondering, I stared to do all of them, so my life is super peaceful and manageable).

[insert laugh track here] 

Reading her post made me wonder what my own tips on running a life would be. As I started to pay attention to my days, I realized that I do actually have some things I've worked on in my own life to keep me happy and balanced. Naturally I thought I'd take a risk and share them here- but with the fair warning: I'm not an expert human, so take all of these with a grain of salt. I know what works for me may very well just be a fluke and not work for you at all. Here we go...

Kaci's Very Own Tips For Being A Functioning Human!

 (in no particular order) 

1. Get up early. Yep I said it (and copied Meg's tip). It's true though! So many people say they can't, but really I think it's mostly we won't. My early mornings took a while to get used to but they are normal now. I can get ready for work without chasing children, or read my Bible or even work out (not really)! If you're going to start one good habit his year, I believe this one is worth the most while. 

how can you not want to wake up to this lazy face?!

2. Compost: we started composting a few months ago. Granted we do it through the city system, so we don't get the fruits of our labor (I don't garden anyway, ol' black thumb here), but it really makes me feel good to know I'm doing some good part in this carbon footprint mess. Also, though, compost your own emotional stuff. Composting is taking organic material and turning it back into usable, earthy stuff right? So compost your emotional and physical "stuff": acknowledge it, process it, and turn it back around to use it for good. Turn it over a few times. Journal (or blog!), exercise, give the leftover love people give to you, to other people. All this feel good, pay it forward stuff pays off, I promise! (and you can trust me, I'm a therapist). 

 'composting' his own sock

3. Find a routine, but be flexible. Let's face it: we humans are creatures of habits. So, much like tip #1, make a new habit! Get a routine down that has room for wiggles. I think that finding a loose routine allows for some predictably, structure and comfort in what is already a busy and chaotic life. We all have to-do lists 543 miles long, and if you set out each day to check all that off and fit everything in, you're just going to be disappointed. For me, I set up a routine where I know what time I have to focus on my to-do's, like laundry, children, meals, working out. When that time is up, I move on and know tomorrow will hold more space for that. Mine looks like this: each day at home I get up, do coffee and baby bottle, breakfast, then head down to work out. After that is baby nap, pack up for the day, get dressed and head out somewhere fun! Then lunch, naps, and open afternoon. It seems maybe a little predictable but it's so nice to know what's coming and where I can fit things in. 

3b. Flexibility is key though! Some days the kids don't nap or I'd rather die than see Suzanne Bowen do BarreAmped Fire yet again, so we just adjust and do something else. Go with the flow, as they say. But knowing I have a loose routine each helps me feel like all is not lost on flexible days, and I can be so much more relaxed as the flow changes shape. 

this day was born out of flexibility. the joy we got here would have been missed if i didn't go with the flow

4. Feed yourself, both spiritually and physically. Plainly put, eating food makes you less grumpy. I try to get around eating sometimes by being so busy or forgetting or trying to lose weight or being tired of food, but if I'm honest, I'm just such a jerkface when I do that. Also, I'm so TIRED! Like, drag yourself around, lay on the floor and let-your-kids-color-on-you-tired. Food is fuel. Fuel up, people! 

And while we are at it, fuel up your spirit too- doing day in and out hectic stuff will leave you lonely, bored and ready to jump ship for the next exciting place (like I heard there may be cake by ocean someplace, can I go there?!). Find a way to feed your spirit with truth and meaning or purpose. For me, it's Jesus and the Bible. Spending time ingesting this brand of fuel leaves me emotionally recharged, energized, and resets my perspective on life. Ahhhh. But whatever it is for you, find your spirit animal and get your groove on! 

5. Workout! I know what you're thinking, "I don't have time to work out! I am fine with my body! It's too hard! I'd rather eat my own toenails than get my heart rate up! Please, anything else?" But really guys, our bodies are meant to MOVE. Moving our bodies helps do the stuff everyone says like re-energize, boost metabolism, create a better mental mood, etc. But moving your body also greases up those ol' joints and allows you to practice flexibility, both physically and emotionally. If you switch the focus of your workout to life improvement vs real crazy, unrealistic outcomes, you learn how to enjoy yourself and be flexible. Trust me, I know this. My workouts used to be 1-2 hours in a gym, every day, lifting and cardio, no break. Now I feel lucky for the 25-30 minutes I get in my basement each day, just to be concentrating on a cheap dvd and 10 pound weights. Times have changed, and so has my body (bu-bye flat abs!) but man, I sure am learning how to embrace flexibility and enjoy the time rather than the outcomes.

typical mom workout. far cry from 24hr fitness...

6. Adopt an authentic heart of servanthood and grace. Life isn't fair. Especially if you're a mom and/or wife. Your workload will always, always seem bigger and better than your spouses or your kids or your friends. So get over it (the sooner the better) and the less resentment you will have. Start serving others for the joy of serving. Learn that everyone is fighting their own battles and you can choose to show up graciously or like an old ogre. You may not be able to control your workload or your lot in life, but you can control how you show up. YOU are the only thing you can control. 

7. Relax. Don't do it. Learn to say no. It's just not that big of a deal. This applies to cleaning, stretching yourself too thin, being everything to everyone else and losing your sanity. Even folding laundry when you want to watch a show- all those times! No is a complete sentence. Commit it to memory. 

8. Live in the moment, and notice the small things. This, my friend, includes messiness. Life is messy. It's fun. It's more fun the messier it is, I'm learning. If you can't learn how to be present to your moments, I promise you, you will miss the joy of life. If you spend your time waiting for it to be good all the time, you'll be always waiting. My favorite example of this is kids: they make a mess. They move on. They enjoy. They don't stop to clean up the spilled cheerios or the tipped over milk bottle- they are too busy pushing monster trucks around or turning dishtowels and blankets into forts. That, my friend, is living in the moment. 

what is easy to see is the big mess on the floor and counter. what is harder to see is the joy:  v eating cheerios from the floor with his mouth, and k baking in his inside out undies. these are my kind of favorite small moments. 

Ok there you have it. I've blogged your ears off (your eyes off? I mean, how do you say that?)

I can only hope that one of this ideas hit close to home for you or was something you just needed to hear today. But even if not, it was still a  good compost session for me. ;)