And the rest will follow…. Yeah I stole those lyrics, but this week they really spoke to me. The last several weeks have been pretty trying, especially for someone who needs a lot of alone time to stay charged. After the flurry of Christmas, then my mom coming to visit, then my sister, getting the kids back in school mode, a wedding and divorce (neither my own) and planning a birthday party or 2. I tried to get back to work; pumping out content, and finalizing the pages for my new Pirate Momma Planner (coming to you soon) but I couldn’t seem to get back into the swing of things. Focus eluded me and after a week of getting nothing done but somehow always being busy, I decided it would be best to hit reset.
So I booked the #colcordsuite at Colcord Hotel, packed a bag, and headed out on an hour drive for some much needed down time. I made a reservation at #flintokc for dinner and drinks. Then began looking forward to being greeted with champagne and chocolate covered strawberries, a fluffy bed, soaking tub, steam shower and room service.
My stay was less than 24 hours but it was exactly what I needed. To do whatever I wanted, in a clean space where there was nothing to do. No chores to beckon me, no chimes of notifications, no questions or whining. Just blissful silence and comfort.
The drive home was a gentle reminder of everything that was waiting for me back home. For the first time in awhile, the list didn’t seem as overwhelming. I’m sitting here typing out some content, going to write up a list for groceries and meal prep, and map out the rest of this week and the next. Tomorrow I’ll be back in full swing. The whole point of this post is that sometimes we need to slow down, drop all the plates we’re spinning and just relax.
In general, we take on more than we can sustain for the long term. Always adding just one more thing, then another and another. Before we know it, we’re running on E, everything seems too much, there’s never enough time. Sound familiar?
I know it’s hard to take time for yourself. I get it, really I do. I spent the last 11 years feeling like I could never let the plates stop spinning. Even the weekends just brought more work.
During my divorce, I really focused on what I wanted for myself. Not as a mom, or a friend, a spouse, but for me as a person. I wasn’t comfortable to continue being the person I was. I knew I was capable of so much more. So slowly, I started taking steps to figure it out. I started doing the things I had said I wanted to do. I went to concerts, ate at new restaurants, planned trips, started a blog with 1 person to follow it, and made a 5 year plan to create a planner. I revamped my wardrobe, started getting regular haircuts and planning out my days again. Now over a year later, I’m getting it figured out. Sure, I have backslides and there are some things I may never shake, like my anxiety and depression. But even those things don’t grip me the way they have in the past.
The hardest thing to wrap my mind around is that, I am worth taking care of. That my basic needs shouldn’t be seen as luxuries. Learning to make time to really decompress, to actually let go of everything for one fucking minute. To take care of myself so I can keep being there for everyone else does not make me a bad person. It makes me a strong woman who is learning to understand her worth and working hard to make sure she’s not taken advantage of.
So go ahead, hit the reset. Call someone to help you out if you need to, but just have a moment for you. It doesn’t need to be fancy or even an overnight (though I highly recommend it) just something to free up your mind for a minute. You deserve it.
@colcordhotel @flintokc