Ever had a day where you were so efficient, you knocked something thing off your to-do list before it became a mini-crisis? Maybe you got the laundry done before the kids were out of socks (a miracle!). Or perhaps you re-filled the fridge before the veggies went limp and moldy. It’s an incredible feeling to get things done in advance. In this episode, you’ll learn secrets on how to feel this way more often. Because the real secret is that the more proactive you feel, the more proactive you’ll be.

Podcast Version

Below is the podcast version of this article. The podcast explains things so much better than a blog post. I invite you to listen and also hear some examples and enjoy some laughs! Subscribe to the Podcast by opening your favorite podcast app and typing “Balanced Working Moms” into the search or click here for a link to the podcast on iTunes.

The morning I wrote the outline for this podcast, I did not jump out of bed and get moving.

It was Sunday morning and in the past, Sunday morning was the day I used to get most of my podcast work done. I used to get up early – sometimes at 6 am, and do two hours of work before anyone in the family was up.

But for the past few months, I can’t seem to get myself up early. I just want to sleep.

And I’ve noticed that I have a better week when I let myself rest on Sunday morning. My body needs that sleep.

But then I feel behind.

By the time I get myself dressed, have breakfast, hang out with my family, get everyone breakfast, and maybe even do a little yoga, it’s late.

And I feel so behind.

Feeling Behind Feels Awful

It’s such an awful feeling to feel behind.

And as Moms, if you’re like me, we feel this way 99% of the time.

It’s as if we’re chasing things on our to-do list and no matter how fast we run, we never get to the end of it.

And here’s the thing. When we’re feeling that emotion of being behind, positive things do not come out of this feeling.

Think about it, when you feel behind, what do you do to make yourself feel ahead?

I tell you what I WASN’T doing that Sunday morning:

–Enjoying my day and my family. All I could think about was the to-do’s I didn’t get done. I was trying to figure out how I going to catch up. It was Sunday for goodness sake, I should have been enjoying my family.

-My cleaning routine. It felt like a waste of time to do my 5-minute cleaning routine since after all, I was SO LATE

–Yoga. I didn’t do my usual morning yoga, not even 10 minutes!

What I’m describing is not a fun, joyous, balanced life that I want for you.

I’m describing total panic. And who wants to live their life in total panic?

What if We Felt Pro-Active?

What prompted this episode is that while eating breakfast in this panicked state, I journaled. And I noticed what was going on and what I was doing.

And I thought to myself — what if instead of feeling behind, I instead prove to myself that I’m actually the opposite — that I’m proactive and ahead?

I came up with some proof right away:

1) The podcast work that I wanted to do — is actually for episodes that will air in a few months. I already have 3 episodes lined up in the software and ready to go. I’m not behind — I’m actually ahead.

2) Last night I cleaned most of the bathroom that I’d planned to clean this morning.

3) I had clean clothes in my closet, which shows that my husband and I were proactive with the laundry. Sure there’s more to do, but I had enough to wear.

4) There was food in the fridge to make myself a beautiful omelet.

What about you?

What are some ways you can prove to yourself that you’re proactive?

Creates Proactivity

The reason why I did this exercise with myself and why I’m encouraging you to also find ways you’re proactive, is that when we do this, we create MORE of what we’re looking at.

If you and I go around saying “I’m always behind” and we then feel the panic, defeat, and loss of confidence that goes along with it, we’ll create more of these feelings.

But when we interrupt those feelings and remind ourselves that we’re actually proactive — and then we find proof where we are, then we create the feelings of confidence, calm, balance, and more pro-activity.

See, we’re always looking to prove ourselves true.

There’s nothing we like more than to make a statement and find ways why we’re right.

So let’s go ahead and find ways that we’re doing things well. That we’re proactive. That we’re good Moms. That we’re getting things done.

And that my friend, will create lives where we not only get things done proactively even more often, but where we’ll feel good about ourselves in the process.

It was so powerful to do this work and realize that even though I have lots of proof that I’m behind, I also have tons of proof that I’m ahead.

Join me in finding that proof that you’re ahead, too, and then amaze yourself at how much you get done.

With love,
Rina