After the stampede of Christmas bookings and barely a day off through November and December, I have claimed January weekends back for myself. It feels very luxurious to have two whole days of family time back to back.
A Glorious Saturday
Yesterday I resisted getting up early to edit and enjoyed a lie in. Then we had a day full of family time. We all cuddled up and watched Watership Down, my daughter helped me strip the bathroom wall ready for painting, we played marbles and we watched my son make his Lego robot rap and my husband cooked us a lovely tea.
My Other Family
Once the kids were in bed, I couldn’t resist checking on my other family. Santa brought Sims for my son and it is fast becoming my new hobby, I am hooked! At Christmas, my sister and I made a digital copy of our own family, deciding all our dreams and wishes and personal traits: It’s a fabulous game for control freaks! The distressing thing is that time flies a little faster in this digital world and my husband’s avatar and mine are suddenly 80 years old. The clock is ticking and we are both a very long way off achieving our dreams.
last night was the first time I have played since Christmas, and after fumbling around trying to master the controls, I had a little break through. I found that good things happen when you put effort into achieving your dreams. Well fancy that!
Dreams and Wishes for this Year?
So back to reality and I think I can apply a little of my Simms learning to real life. What are my dreams and wishes for this year?
To be honest, it’s the same as ever, I want a good work life balance, more quality time with my family and friends, to be able to enjoy my beautiful home and studio.
So now I just need to work our how to make my dreams come true! The first step they say is to be conscious of what we want, but talk is cheap as the old saying goes and actions speak louder than words to quote another. Moaning certainly hasn’t made a jot of difference, but perhaps a bit a bit of effort in their direction will.
Work Life Balance
This is all about being strict and efficient with time and knowing when to say no. I’m good at the first bit, but not always at the second. Sometimes we do need to give it our all – like the run up to Christmas at the studio, but when that happens we need to make sure we claim it back and that’s when it is time to say no.
More Quality Family Time
It isn’t feasible for me to have every weekend off, but I have decided to take off every other. We’ve also penciled in holiday dates right through the year to make sure this time happens. We keep saying that we want to go here and there, but it doesn’t happen. Hopefully by putting it in the diary we will be conscious of these wishes and make them happen. And a holiday doesn’t always need to mean expense, some can be plush and some can be simple. It is the time together that matters.
A Beautiful Home and Studio
When things get messy I feel my stress levels rising, but when you are busy it is difficult to keep the mess under control. My plan is to simplify things at home and improve the storage at the studio. Both are getting a lick of paint and we’ll keep chipping away over the next few months.
Just like Sims, time flies in the real world too, and I want to make the most of it. I’m not going to get to 80 and realise I’ve not achieved any of my wishes. I’ll be rationing my visits to Sims and for this precious weekend day we are planning swimming, baking and finishing off our bathroom. Then is is back to conquering the world for us all on Monday. Happy belated 2019!
