Adulting is hard.

Seriously.

Some days I feel like I am killing it and have it all figured out. Then I have days that I am just happy I remembered to feed everyone and take the dog out to pee. Life is chaotic. Throw in a pandemic, working from home with a toddler and a kid doing virtual learning…… Can I please just have a glass of wine and chocolate and lay in bed and watch reality tv?

There are a few things that have helped me tackle the adulting world.

Motivation

Organization

Meditation

Motivation

This applies to so many different aspects of my life. Obviously my kids and husband motivate me every day. My husband is a huge motivation when it comes to going after my goals and striving to be better. He helped me get movitated to start working out and finding a routine that I enjoy and could stick with. He encouargaed me to pick my camera back up and start taking pictures again.

I know that not everyone has a partner or someone in their life to help keep them motivated. And that is ok! YOU are enough to be motivated. Knowing that I wanted to be around and live a long healthy life motivated me. Wanting to tap into my creative side that I loved in school, motivated me. Wanting to manage my stress and anxiety, motivated me. YOU are enough to motivate yourself.

Here are a few other ways I stay motivated.

Social Media Groups

I joined different photography groups on Facebook to get inspired and share my photos. I also created my own photography group, MF Photo Group. Every month a drop a list of prompts for others to use as inspiration to share images. Everyone in the group is so positive and the group motivates me to want to pick up my camera, or phone, more often and snap pictures.

There are also so many fitness/wellness groups on Facebook that you can join to stay motivated to workout or be healthier. This year I created a wellness group and it has been so great and positive! Everyone is so supportive and we share workout ideas, recipes, etc.

Instagram

I only follow people or companies that I find inspiring. I follow photographers, recipes pages, workout pages, etc. If at anytime you are following a person or page that makes you feel down or discouraged, then stop following them!

Podcasts

I LOVE podcasts. The Skinny Confidential is great for wellness tips. Heart and Hussle is all about photography and business ideas. What We Said ranges from wellness to entrepreneurship. Of course I also love the podcasts about pop culture like The Lady Gang, The Bitch Bible, Straight Up With Stassi, etc. But there are SO many podcasts out there. You could find one about any topic you want to learn more about or to be motivated by.

Organization

This is a big one! I have always keep a journal, planner, and calendar for everything. I had a calendar for home, for work, for the kids, for photography. Everything was in a million places and while it seemed like I was organizing, it was too much. So, this year I created my first BuJo, bullet journal. I LOVE IT. It gives me a place for everything. I can make a yearly spread for workouts, blogs, finances, photography, etc. I can make weekly spreads or daily for writing down my to do lists and appointments. It isn’t for everyone, but I love to write things down. It makes me feel more together…and motivated…to see if down on the page in front of me.

I also have everything on my google calendar and it is color coded. Having it on my phone and easy to access anywhere is amazing. Also, the fact I keep it color coded makes it so much easier to quickly check and know what’s going to be happening that month, week or day.

I also have a routine in the morning which has made such a difference! Especially working from home. I literally have a page in my BuJo for my morning routine. Having a plan for my mornings helps me stay on task and motivated. Another thing, working from home, is having an organized work space. I know how easy it is to sit on the couch or in bed all day with your laptop and answer emails. But, having a designated spot for my work day makes me feel so much better. My daughter also has a little area specifically for school, since she is going virtual learning this year.

Meditation

I have always had issues with stress and anxiety. I knew this past year I really wanted to find a way to help elevate some of that anxiety. Something that came up time and time again in my search for way to help manage my stress, was meditation. In 2020 I dove into practicing yoga and learning more about it. Yoga is a holistic and mindful practice that includes physical movements (asana), breathing (pranayama), meditation (dhyana) and relaxation (savasana). I feel like I sound cliché saying this, but it was life changing.

From a physical stand point yoga helped me with flexibility and balance. I have become more aware of my body and what it needs. I also have more respect for my body and everything it has been through. More than that, I can tell a huge difference in how I manage stress and anxiety. I can tell a difference if I miss a day or more of yoga. I love my time on the mat. I have learned to control my breathing and focus through my practice.

Even if you don’t want to practice yoga and you don’t feel like you have an issue with stress or anxiety, meditation still has so many benefits. You don’t have to sit in silence for an hour. You can adjust your practice to fit into your life and your needs. I recommend looking up the various types of meditations and maybe trying them all to see which is best for you.

Hope this gives you some motivation and ideas on how to tackle this crazy adult life!