More than just labels

Wife. Daughter. Step-daughter. Daughter-in-law. Sister. Sister-in-law. Friend. Confidant. Rescue furmom. Woman. Aunt. Niece. Part-time boss. Full-time minion. Colleague. Pleaser. Over-helper. Networker. Consultant. Storyteller. Community volunteer. Do-gooder. Tweep. Friend. Tribe mate. Member. Instagrammer. Wanna be blogger. Ambassador. Google +er. Cook. Baker. Housekeeper. Gossiper. Decorator. Dog chaser. Deal seeker. Professional shopper. Amateur photographer. Skier. Adventurer. Candy crusher. Planner. Counsellor. Entertainer. Latté lover. Commuter. Car rockstar. Perfectionist.

 

 

A bunch of labels? Yes. But together these labels make-up my DNA. I absolutely love every single one of these things. They each give me a different type of high. I was a junkie. And just like an addict who overabuses, I crashed.

I was doing it all; pushing myself to new limits. Working full-time, consulting on the side and trying to maintain my blog while contributing to another. Engaging with friends both face-to-face and online. Transitioning and integrating a rescue pooch into our home and maintaining it at the same time. Playing wife and squeezing in some family-time in every now and then. Attending events, joining twitter parties and planning celebrations. I was on a wicked high.

Mapped out was every hour of my day, almost to the minute. Just like my 9-5 job gave me a high, I filled every spare moment I had with another drug. Working on a contract. Writing a blog post. Engaging in social media. Texting my family. Yes, that included my husband cause it was just easier that way. Walking the pup. 

It wasn't long before balls dropped faster than I could pick them up. Juggling for the Complete Klutz couldn't help me at this point. The quality of my work - both paid and volunteer - declined. I started to forgot important milestones. Lost patience with my family. The pantry was empty and my car littered with half eaten fast food containers. My regular bed time extended by one, two then three hours. And finally, I went hurdling into a brick wall like a car with no brakes. Crumpled like an accordion.

That was my wake up call. It was time to slow down.

So over the last few weeks I took a step back. Not completely withdrawing from everything but certainly pulling back. Taking the time to figure out what is important to me. For starters I am setting parameters: everything in moderation, including moderation. Quality versus quantity.

I know I broke some of the golden rules over the last few weeks - like keeping your content up-to-date - but I'm OK with that. I feel half normal again. And happy. Guess I can add rebel to that list of labels.