Who has the time really?

This post is a partial shout-out to my friend who I saw about a month ago. I was yammering on about the blog and he commented that I hadn't posted in a while. This also led me to realize he may very well be my only faithful reader and you need to give your public what they want. You know who you are and this is my commitment to being a better blogger.

But, really, who has the time? It boggles my mind a bit. I don't even have time to read all the blogs I enjoy (guilty pleasure disclosure: Possessionista) let alone be writing every day, even every week. How do people find the time? Are children going unfed? Bills unpaid? Work responsibilities unaddressed? I can barely get through the online news headlines before I'm called away to do something else. It makes me think of my friends who pay those games on Facebook. Where do they find the time? Carol just got a bunch of chickens in Farmville! Why does Carol, who lives in suburbia, need chickens and what exactly is she going to do with all that farm stuff anyway?

There's also my business. I know that one of the ways to effectively market my business is to create a nice, ongoing blog about relevant issues. It's social media marketing 101. But, whenever I think about it, it feels so, so heavy. If I spent time blogging regularly, I'd have to give up some of my client time, thereby not practicing as much and lessening my blog material. A vicious cycle. I know other coaches who blog regularly but also know many have children who are older. Or maybe they are just better time managers. I don't want to rush things but I'm also very much looking forward to having uninterrupted blocks of time within which to work. But, for now, I just walk around laden in guilt about all the things I could be doing to grow my business that I'm not- blogging included. This weighs heavy on my mind. Will I ever feel completely on top of things? Or will there just be something new on the list?

Okay, this has turned into a full-on whine. But, if anyone has any suggestions- tricks, tools, shortcuts- regarding more time-effective blogging, I'm all ears. And what's an acceptable length for entries? How often is considered good flow for posting? Discuss. Talk amongst yourselves. And, by all means, let me know.

But for now, this is my public commitment to try to be a more regular blogger...with better content than this entry. It's actively on my to-do list. And thanks for reading.

Vacation After the Vacation

Disclaimer: there is a full-on whine below. If you can't stand that sort of thing, I recommend you just skip this post entirely.

Traveling is one of the things my husband and I really enjoy and our family recently returned from a nine day trip away. It was heavenly. As has been the case lately, with my daughter getting older, the trips just keep getting better. She is a champion car traveler (sometimes more patient than me) and a real treat as she embraces all our outings when away. As mundane as running to the grocery store ("There's Harris Teeter!!") or seeing the sights (this trip it was a replica of a 16th century sailing vessel which she deemed "just like on 'Arial'!"), she enjoys it all.

As is the case with most business owners, especially those working from home, the lines often blur between personal and professional time. I've written plenty of other posts about the overlaps in my life. I tried something new this trip and attempted to clear the work responsibility decks in hopes I wouldn't have a load of commitments while away. It worked! I was able to blissfully disengage from my working world, answering a minimal number of emails and spending very little time attached to my computer for the week. It really made for a relaxing getaway.

What I didn't factor in was my transition back to real life upon our return. Oy! Those first two days of assimilation were insane! On our last travel day, I checked my email at 8 a.m. No problems. When we got home at 4 p.m. that afternoon, 63 emails in my inbox. 63! Suddenly everything seems urgent. ugh. Gone are my feelings of Zen. And let's talk about the laundry. Piled to the rafters. And the cat fur balls tripping around the floor like little hamsters. Nothing in the fridge. Dirty bathrooms. Zen? Did I really feel Zen four short days ago? So now I need a vacation from the transition back from my vacation. sigh.