Walking through my neighborhood, I started judging the overgrown gardens and flowerbeds full of weeds. I wondered how the homeowner could simply ignore their space and let it get to this point. But then August happened and I quickly realized how - because I became that homeowner. With little time and no energy, I focused on what was important and gardening just didn’t make the cut.

If you're a working mom with limited time (i.e. can't win the quantity side of the debate), you want the time that you do have when you're with your kids to be quality. You want to "make it count". This could look like something different to every mom out there. Regardless of the activity, quality time is about doing something together - being together.

How do you get out of the habit of just going through the date night motions? Of just talking about your kids and the calendar? How do you actually have fun, enjoy each other, and experience a pleasurable date? You do something different! You shake things up.

Instead of using your calendar or planner just to remember that tonight is swim lessons, or this weekend is that birthday party and you need to get a gift; why don't you use that space to remind yourself of the other things (dreams, goals, practices) that are equally as important?

We're conditioned to want the next thing, to make the next change, or hit the next milestone. But what if you decided that settling in and fine-tuning the life that you have right now IS the next milestone? What if your next phase of growth happens BECAUSE you chose to coast?

Switching gears throughout your day takes mental strength and focus as you go from waking up to morning routine, from home to work, from meeting to meeting, and most importantly in my opinion, from working to parenting.

So many ideas and expectations, so little time. Weekends can feel like an either/or decision: Do you plan the weekend out in advance? Or go with the flow, come what may? What if you didn't have to choose?

This is one of the first things I teach you inside Beyond Balance - how to improve your relationship with time. You could be super organized and have the best planning system, but if your relationship with time is out of balance, you'll never feel the way you want to feel - relaxed, calm, in control.

What matters is that you're present in THE moments of your life with your kids. That you appreciate life when it's good. And when it doesn't feel as good, you draw on your freeze-frame moments to get you through. Because you recognize that you will come out of it tomorrow, or next week, or next month. And there will be more freeze-frame moments.

Do you ever think about what kind of relationship you're creating with your kids? Or how they will see you when they're grown? Thinking about the future can be emotional. It is for me. Partly because it’s sad to think of them as no longer my little babies. But also because I know I’m falling short of the big picture and I want to change that.

You were a person before kids, you will be your own person when they're grown, but you're also you're own person now. What do you enjoy? What makes you smile, or sigh, or laugh, or relax? Not sure? Me either, some days.

There is no grade for "getting it right". There is no consequence for choosing incorrectly. There is no time wasted experimenting as you figure out what's important to you. If anything, it's the best way to spend your time.