Bin that list!

So how many of you have made a mental list in your head of all the things you’re going to do once the kids go back to school in September? Mine is a big’un as I plan on….

 

 

• Having MANY lunches and catch ups with friends
• A day trip to the beach
• Painting my workroom
• Doing more exercise
• Having more ‘Me’ time
• Reading more books
• Maybe starting another painting?

 

Oh yeah!.. And running a business and a household whilst spending quality time with my children….

 

Yep, I’ve done it again - I have set myself very unrealistic expectations of what I can do in the six hours the kids are at school when really I know I’ll just be working. I know lots of my list is me relaxing but we all know that isn’t going to happen as I have months of work to catch up on after lockdown.

 

It reminded me of the start of lockdown when I imagined I was going to get a million things done whilst trapped at home. I was going to start an online course, read all those books I was given for Christmas, decorate my house. Oh yeah AND work AND homeschool two children!

 

Honestly, why do we set ourselves so many unrealistic expectations? I remember getting thoroughly miserable and down at one point during lockdown as I realised I had less time than ever before even though I wasn’t going anywhere. I quickly realised the problem was me and my unrealistic goals. At the end of lockdown I felt like I hadn’t achieved anything and that none of the things had been completed on my list. It was a depressing thought.

 

One day Holly Tucker posted a video on Instagram. She told us to list 10 things we HAD done during lockdown, 10 things that probably weren’t even on our lists and before we knew it we would have 10 achievements. It’s funny, we focus so much on what we haven’t done that we don’t realise what we HAVE achieved.

 

So I ask you all this, write down 10 things you did during lockdown that were positive, maybe even achievements. Here are mine….

 

• I started to run 5 K
• I painted my garden fence
• I home schooled my children and actually learnt a lot! It didn’t feel like a positive at the time but my goodness was it an achievement!
• My son learnt how to ride a bike
• I taught my children how to use a sewing machine
• We went for long walks and discovered lots of new places around our area.
• I planted seeds and watched them grow.
• We got to know our neighbours
• I created a new range of positive products for Miss Shelly.
• I cut & dyed my hair!

 

I actually could go on!

 

Some of these things may seem trivial but for me they were a big deal and it made me realise the positive things from lockdown and stopped me focusing on what I felt I hadn’t achieved, when in fact the problem was me and my crazy expectations. Here are some of our positive experiences from lockdown......

 

One of the best thing for me was creating new products. It’s the part of my job which I love but I never get the time to do it as I’m too busy doing admin, getting orders ready, ordering supplies and trying to prep stock for Christmas. During lockdown I couldn’t focus. In between teaching the kids I couldn’t get into my work like I used to. Instead I started creating and coming up with new designs and it felt a bit like therapy. I experimented with new materials and styles and found a new love of colour. I think like many people I was inspired by rainbows and the positivity they seem to bring. My rainbows are one of my most favourite products I’ve ever come up with in the (nearly 10) years I’ve been in business and from the feedback I’ve had it seems you all love them too :-)

See, something positive did come out of lockdown and I bet it did for you too, you just don’t realise it yet. Go on, write that lockdown list and please bin that back to school list and just go with the flow.

 

Enjoy your ‘Back to School’ freedom folks and stay safe!