About this time tomorrow my mom will be flying in from California (I’m in NC) for a two-week visit. Monday morning she, my youngest daughter and I will be embarking on a 12-day, 1200 mile road trip. Yes, gas prices are high and yes, we’ll have to make compensations for that, but I am expecting the two-weeks to be wonderful.

We will be seeing friends and family, some of which I’ve not seen since I was 8 years old, but we will also be taking things as they come. We have destinations planned and some idea of what we’d like to do at a few of the locations, but beyond that we are just ready for an adventure.

During our trip, I may not have the opportunity to post, but know that I will post the Tuesday after I return, Tuesday, July 1st. In the meantime, Choose a Better Life by choosing to enjoy what comes your way without worrying about all the details.

As Zig Ziglar says in Life Lifters, “Spend time with those you love. One of these days you will either say, “I wish I had,” or “I’m glad I did.”

I find it interesting that when life is the most hectic we tend to cut out the things that are the most beneficial to ourselves – time alone, time to exercise, quality time with our families, time out with friends.  Unfortunately, these things tend to fall into the “not mandatory for survival” category.

Yes, it is true that we can survive life without the richness of time spent with friends or family.  We can survive without exercise.  And we can survive without time alone.  But, surviving isn’t living.  Living is what makes life enjoyable.  It is what makes life fun and eventful.  And, living should be our goal.

I have been reminded of this over the past few weeks.  I am in the process of re-branding my business – new company name, new logo, new website, new messaging, just about everything is new.  Although this process is very exciting it is a lot of work, more than I expected honestly.

And because I have set a deadline for this Friday, June 13^th, to have the majority of my messaging redefined and my website content rewritten (I am going to be unavailable for two weeks starting the 14^th) I have been feeling the pressure of not enough hours in my day.   As this pressure has been building I have been forced to cut some things from my schedule.  Unfortunately, I had been cutting the wrong things.

The first thing to go was my morning quiet time.  This is time I take to pray, journal, bless those who are brought to mind and just rest in the “peace that surpasses all understanding.”

The second thing I cut was some one-on-one time with my daughter.  She is on summer break now and she would love to spend days on end with me.  Although I treasure my time with her and recognize it will not last forever, I have been saying no to time with her in lieu of “focused work time.”

But, interestingly, because I have cut two of the most precious things in my life, my “focused work time” had not been very focused.  I’ve been struggling to get my thoughts together and have not been nearly as productive as I need to be.  So, the pressure continues to build.

Finally, it dawned on me … in order to be productive during the work-day, I need to nurture my personal life - my mind, my spirit and my soul.

So, several days ago I decided that no matter how jammed my day was, I would start each and every day with my quiet time; time to get myself focused on the really important things in life.  Then I decided that I would let my daughter pick one weekday, any day before the 14^th that would be spent with just her and me.  No calls.  No email.  No work.

And amazingly, but not surprisingly, the pressure has begun to release.  I still have the impending deadline and I still have a lot of work to get done, but my mind is renewed.  I am refreshed and refocused.  I do not have more hours in my days, but my days are much more productive because I work much more effectively.

Choose a Better Life by choosing to keep time to nurture yourself in your schedule.  Choose to live life instead of just surviving it.

I recently received a publication from my health insurance company.  In this mini-magazine was an article on how to fight stress.  Since stress is a part of each of our lives I thought I’d share their tips (and my clarifications) with you:

Make time to prioritize – Are your actions in line with your goals?  If not, revisit your goals and determine what it is you really want to accomplish.

Group together similar activities – Pay bills, return calls, run errands, etc at the same time.

Avoid distractions with no value – If you find yourself being distracted from your priorities ask yourself if you really want to take the detour.  If the answer is yes, enjoy the distraction.  If no, get back on track.

Organize at home – I’ve blogged on this several times.  Get rid of the extra clutter in your home and your office space.

Learn to say no – This is another topic I’ve blogged on several times.  It is okay to say, “No” to activities and responsibilities.  In fact, it is healthy to know your boundaries and defend them.  Do not feel guilty saying no to things that encroach upon the priorities you have set.

Say yes to “you” time – As I’ve shared before, try to make time for yourself on a weekly, quarterly and yearly basis.  Weekly, take advantage of a cancelled meeting by just doing something fun, or schedule a meeting with just yourself.  Quarterly, plan an overnight getaway for just you.  Yearly, take time to have a personal retreat; several days where you go away by yourself to clear your mind, rest and restore your spirit.

Maintain a positive attitude – Of all the tips this is the most important.  Your quality of life stems from your attitude.  Choose to focus on the blessings and enjoy them with gratitude.

Choose a Better Life by choosing to take steps to reduce the stress in your life.  You will be better for yourself and your loved ones.