27 July 2014

On giving myself a break

Hello lovelies!

How are you? I hope you've all had fabulous weekends of fabulousness.

Mine has involved hours and hours and HOURS of researching and writing a presentation for work, and very little else. If I pull this off, it could be one of the most important presentations of my career, so it's pretty important that I make it the best I possibly can.

This morning, while I observed the messy state of our house, saw the garden resembling the tale of Katie and the Monster Triffids (the less successful sequel to James and the Giant Peach), remembered the yet-to-be-painted kitchen cabinets and never ending list of DIY projects, and felt the extra two inches my hips have gained since Friday due to my patented Twix-based self-motivation method, I felt a bit despondent.

I allowed myself to wallow (like a Twix-fed hippo) for a few moments, and then gave myself a stern talking to. In my head, obviously. Although the neighbours did witness me apparently talking to myself on several occasions today (I was recording my presentation to check how long it was).

Sometimes I think I put too much pressure on myself to get everything sorted, like, yesterday. Seeing as my best skill is being able to juggle and multi-task like an automaton clown, if I'm not on top of it all, it feels like failing. So I told myself to snap out of it, because sometimes (gasp!) it's OK that some things haven't been done. We're not going to die from a bit of dust, the garden will wait until later, none of the DIY projects are affecting our daily lives, and (once I'm able to step away from my laptop and tackle all those other things listed above) I'm sure my hips will fall back in line soon enough.

So this evening, I will mostly be sprawling on the sofa with Tom, a movie, and a bowl of ice-cream, pointedly ignoring how the fan is blowing dust bunnies across the carpet like tumbleweeds in a bad Western.

Don't worry, though - it hasn't been all work and no play. On Friday we had our collective besties over for a BBQ, got smashed on champagne, and played drunken Pictionary. My best guess had to be "Mystery Cat Sunshine Cheese Sailor!". Strangely, I wasn't even close.

What have you been up to?

Katie xxx

14 comments:

  1. awhhh, def sounds like you ave been too hard on yourself! Good luck for your presentation, I hope it goes well and gets you the result you need. Sounds like you had a great BBQ though! xx

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    1. Thanks Sophie :) The BBQ was EPIC. Halloumi skewers AND mozzarella burgers made me a very happy girl xxx

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  2. I'm absolutely rubbish at presentations, I'm far too shy and self conscious, it's my worst nightmare I think! Hope yours goes really well after the work you've put in. Good luck!

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  3. Good food is the best way to take a break... and BBQ is pretty much the pinnacle of good food, tied with tacos. :)

    Also, my soft-serve based motivation method is going much the same way as your Twix one. Whatever could be going wrong??

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    1. Mmmm I do love tacos. Food is definitely the best break option. I don't know what it could be about the soft-serve; it's definitely not fair to work so hard and end up with squishier hips! xxx

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  4. Yes, you need a rest!!!! I've just been on slave duty at camp for 24 hours, followed by rehearsal so now I'm monging in my tent before the next rehearsal. X

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    1. Sounds like a very busy weekend! I've managed to fit in some chilling out and a bit of cleaning - so I'm feeling much better now thank you :) xxx

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  5. I am sending unicorns with fluffy rainbow tails full of best wishes and luck and pots of gold, being ridden by leprechauns. You clearly don't need anywhere need that amount of luck with your presentation but I don't do things by halves. Apart from cleaning the house. I don't even do that by thirds! whoops.

    Yes, give yourself a break, or even 6 weeks of break a bit like school holidays!

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    1. Thank you for the unicorns- they're exactly what I needed! I think it's best to do everything in moderation when it comes to cleaning- and it'll help A's metabolism too :)

      That's an excellent idea - I've booked about 10 days off during August and I'm very much looking forward to it xxx

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  6. I think we all feel like that, juggling too many balls. Obviously your career enhancing presentation has to come before DIY! It's not a race to finish your house. I get incredibly overwhelmed sometimes and don't know where to start so you're not alone.
    Your attitude adjustment is perfect. Ice cream is the answer. xxx

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  7. Hope your presentation went fabulously! I know what you mean though, sometimes you just need to stop and think "I don't have to do x/y/z/whatever, if I don't do it, it's not life or death" Definitely more ice cream is needed :-) xxx

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  8. So very true about everything... learning to juggle every thing in life but also being able to step back from it is quite the thing to learn. I'm realizing I have to step back every now and then too from random things. So glad to hear your presentation went well!

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  9. You there, I'm late to this party so already know the presentation went well but you need to be nicer to yourself. The heart wants what it wants and if yours wants Twixes and Mystery Cat Sunshine Cheese Sailor's, who're you to argue? Sending you feather dusters of happiness.
    M x

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