Diary of an Organizer- The Company You Keep

Okay I usually I try very hard to keep my personal life separate from my business life.  However, the lines have blurred quite a bit lately.  With some business development projects going on, I have been working a lot more hours in the day.  My laptop no longer stays at home, and I no longer waste any minute of the day not working.  On top of all of my business work, I have my grad school classes that keep my busy.  I have a friend move in for the summer, and in in exchange for rent, they agreed to help me when necessary.  This arrangement would allow me to make more progress this summer with the business, and also allowed me to take on an extra grad school class.  Unfortunately, they had a change of heart and left suddenly, leaving me with a mountain of work in addition to the extra work I took on knowing that they would be helping for the summer.

Okay, so this isn’t a post about how stressed I’ve been, or why I feel I’ve been “done wrong”.  This is a post about finding out what’s important to you and why.

For me, my business is important because it’s my livelihood and it’s my passion.  I’m willing to make sacrifices for it just as if it were my child. However, its unrealistic to think others would feel the same way.  I’ve also learned the importance of taking a step back, and carefully examining how, why, and where you are spending your energy.  If you have kids, you are spending time on the activities that are important to them.  That’s part of being a parent, however, are you giving yourself the same time and dedications to your passions?  Fulfilling yourself makes you a better spouse, parent, and human being.  It’s not selfish to examine and make time for what you want and need in life.

Finally, are those around you bringing you joy?  Or, are they draining you of energy, and leaving you to deal with the consequences of their actions? We all have both type of people in our lives.  Sometimes it’s impossible to get away from the latter.  They may be co-workers or family.  However, you have a choice each time you interact with them.  You can remain positive, and not let their actions and emotions effect yours, or you can do the opposite.

Determining who in your life is a worthwhile recipient of your time is a lifelong process.  However, my advice is to spend time with those that allow you to be the best you.  You only live once, make it your best life!