When Life Gets Busy, Slow Down!

The other day my daughter raced up to me with exciting news: she has her first wiggly tooth! 

Seeing her wiggle that little tooth, smiling and excited for it to fall out, I started thinking about how quickly she's growing up. In less than two weeks she will be starting grade one. In two months we will be celebrating her 6th birthday! And in ten years she’ll be a 16 year old, hopefully not causing trouble, but no doubt driving me crazy.

I know I’m getting ahead of myself with that last statement, but time flies when you’re having fun. If I don’t slow down to enjoy it, her 16th birthday will be upon us in what feels like no time at all.

Life can get busy; there are always going to be appointments to keep, errands and chores, work, school and extracurricular activities that keep us bustling from one to the next.

It’s when this happens that we need to slow down the most. We need to take the time to enjoy our family and friends company. To relax and have fun. There has to be balance though. That’s something I’ve never been very good at it, but as my life moves forward and I have to start adding more things to my daily schedule I know it’s a skill I must develop. 

Inspired by Erika’s Mood Lifting List, I decided that I need something similar for myself. Except, instead of calling it a Mood Lifting List I want to call it:

My Slow Down List

• Take Sidney to the park.
• Go to the movies.
• Meet an old friend for coffee.
• Meet a new friend for coffee.
• Take a bubble bath.
• Paint my nails.
• Volunteer once a month.
• Attend a book signing.
• Attend a community event.
• Write at a café.
• Study outdoors.
• Buy an inspiring book.
• Take Sidney out for ice cream.
• Go on a date with Nick.
• Go to a concert with our friends.
• Go out with a classmate for a pint.
• Shop at the farmer’s market.
• Make someone a gift.
• Go on a nature hike in the fall/winter with my camera.
• Have dinner with my family. 

 

So, when things start to get hectic and I’m feeling overwhelmed, I plan to look over this list as a reminder to smell the flowers, take time out for my friends and family, and time out for myself – to do the things that I love and that really matter to me. 

 

Over the next few days I will be joining the Slow Down Challenge over at goinswriter.com. Feel free to check it out, maybe you could benefit from it, too!

 

What would you put on your list? How do you balance your busy, hectic lives? Let me know in the comments section!

Thanks,
Cole

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