Happy Monday!  Hope you had a great weekend!  We did.  Spent some time on our boat which is always nice.  The weather hasn’t been the greatest in the Vancouver area this year, so when we do get nice days, we have to take advantage.

I must say, I’m stumped on what to post about today for “News, Facts & Fitness Monday”, but I’ve had a post sitting in my “Drafts” folder for quite some time.  It was about “Balance”, and what I mean by that is balance in all areas (family, fitness, food, work).  As September looms closer, I can’t help but evaluate how I’m going to prepare myself to be more balanced in the coming year.

While I like to “think” that I can do everything (be a mom, wife, work full time, working on a book, managing a website/blog/twitter/new recipes, etc.)  I definitely have my fair share of days where I feel overwhelmed.  This year, I want to work on lessening those “frazzled” days.  I want to spend more time having fun and not working.  I want to better utilize my time when I’m working and get more accomplished.  I want to spend more quality time with my husband, daughter, and our 2 doggies.

I’ve already begun doing 1 thing lately that seems to be helping…..Task Lists….done daily.

While I’ve always been good at doing To-Do lists, I would call what I’m doing now more of a task list.  When your working, its so easy to get side tracked answering emails, phone calls.  Then when I get home, all I want to do is spend some time with the family, but I’m left thinking about the things I didn’t get to that day.

So now, I’m writing Task Lists everyday, with the most important at the tops, and the least important at the bottom (which could realistically wait until another day.)

So now, I’m working on more strategies on how I can make life less hectic.  On the workout front, what’s really worked for me in the past few years is going early in the morning.  Another is dinner prep.  So be prepared for a lot of Crockpot recipes this fall. Isn’t the idea of dinner being ready when you get home super appealing?  It is for me!

Question: What are some of your tips to stay balanced when it gets hectic?