We’re all about living our best lives and being the best version of ourselves and with the change of seasons we also just happen to have the best possible time to achieve both of those outcomes.
Here’s a quick guide to get you thinking about the areas of your life that matter the most.
Managing your busy lifestyle means that you have to keep control over many moving parts. These parts are different to different people, but when all is said and done as busy women, and busy moms our priorities are not that different from each other.
We all want to balance our life in direct proportion to balancing our checkbooks, we want to keep our relationships in good order, protect our children and our investments, and ultimately create the type of life that’s worth living.
All of these moving parts are greater or lesser influences on our lives, but essentially if we get these essentials down, the rest will usually fall into place.
So, let’s get cracking!
PROTECTING YOUR FINANCIAL HEALTH
No one likes to admit how important money is. Rather we spend it oftentimes without giving much thought to how it’s going to be replaced and when so much of our spending is credit-driven, this is a dangerous practice that many Americans are starting to reap the consequences of right now.
With rising inflation comes rising interest and on-budget-stretched Americans, even small rises have dramatic knock-on effects.
If you’re not naturally gifted at making the cents take care of the dollars, then it’s time you admitted as much and got some help. Speak to your friends and family members and get a good referral to a financial advisor who can help you get a realistic view of your financial horizon.
Knowledge is power, so even if the results are less than desirable - now you know and that means you can start taking action. Here’s a little inspiration from LinkedIn.
TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH
Everyone is well aware of the obesity epidemic currently impacting the lives of millions of American women right now, and it’s only going to get worse. Along with the rise in the cost of living comes cheap and easy access to fast foods that have little to no benefit to your overall nourishment and daily vitamin requirements, much less on your heart. Did you know that your digestive system is often referred to as your “second brain”? A simple change in diet towards healthier choices won’t just have a good impact on your waistline, but also on your mental health.
There’s no time like the present, and if you’ve been battling to get your physical health under control, then get busy - there is no time for wasting when it comes to your health.
KEEPING YOUR RELATIONSHIPS IN CHECK
With life getting busier by the day ensuring that personal relationships are nurtured, managed, and grown becomes increasingly difficult, but it is essential. Taking time out to nourish the relationships in our lives helps keep our mental health in check, and also provides us with the kind of focused, determined, and detail-oriented approach that we need to drive our goals.
If you’re not managing, get some help. Yes, it’s not always easy to admit that you’re not coping or managing your relationships (or life in general), but if you want this to be the summer that sets all summers apart, do the work.
PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENTS
In this case, we’re not just talking about financial investments as in cash savings and retirement plans (although now that we mention it, have a chat with your banker to see if you’re managing your cash flow as well as you think you are), and if you have not started planning for your retirement yet, start.
Rather, we mean your real estate. If you’re already a homeowner, congratulations. You’re on the way to ensuring a financially sound future, especially if you’re managing that commitment effectively. But it’s not only the financial management of your real estate that needs good management, it’s also the physical maintenance of your property that needs attention - and summertime is the best time to get all of those annoying jobs done that you can’t do during the harsh months of winter. Keeping the exterior of your home in top condition is a great place to start, but remember that your interior needs some love as well.
Create an internal project list that includes the state of your faucets, shower heads, work surfaces, kitchen cupboards, and plumbing. It is summer after all, so remember to include your air conditioning system and air filters as well, and for that, you’ll need HVAC cleaning and restoration.
The dynamics of our lives are always evolving and we wouldn’t want it any other way. So check in with you from time to time because you can’t be the best version of yourself to anyone else until you’re that same best version - to you.
Happy summer!