Carving Out Time For You

where do you find the time for...

When I told my friends and family that I was starting a blog and business, the most common question people asked me was, "Where do you find time for this stuff?" It's true. We're busy. I work full time as a buyer, workout 5-6 days a week, and have that normal life stuff called being a wife, and mom, and friend, and sister, and, you know, just me. 

I guess what it boils down to is this. If you wait to find time to do things, you’ll keep on waiting. Life is always busy, but I choose to MAKE time for things that bring me joy and align with my intentions. This means saying yes to the things we want to do, and even more important, saying no to the things that don't enhance your life and bring you happiness.

I committed a few years ago to waking up earlier than the rest of my family to start my day with intentional time for self-care. This is my 'me' time. I set my daily intentions, drink my coffee in quiet, and most days I get in a morning workout. This practice has been a game changer. What I’ve found is that when I am intentional with my time, I seem to have more of it.  

letting go to free up opportunity

Using my time to create pretty food pictures ♥️ © BainbridgeKitchen.com

Intentionally saying yes also means being selective with what earns your time. These decisions aren't always comfortable, but I realize now that I held onto habits because of habit, not even because of comfort. Being intentional with my time has given me permission to let go of practices and habits that conflicted with my priorities. Here are a few things I let go of:

1. Watching 5 Real Housewives franchises. Perhaps you were expecting something more poetic?? Do you know how easy it is to get sucked into reality TV?? Omg drama so good. Here’s the thing. If 2 seasons are running at the same time, I could easily let hours of my week get sucked up into table flipping, champagne throwing chaos. So. Now I watch 2- I’m still human. 
2. One-sided relationships. I love people. I love sharing my time with friends and family, but I realized that some friendships were mostly give and not a lot of take. When I was beginning my business, I was logging about 70 hours a week between my normal job and Bainbridge Kitchen. I found that people naturally fell into 2 categories: attracted & curious, or uninterested in my life as a whole. And that’s ok. I learned an important lesson. Just because people have been in your life doesn’t mean they’ll stay. Especially as your priorities shift. This is another post entirely, but it’s true that your vibe attracts your tribe. I found that many relationships in my life shifted as I took the time to truly follow my passions and goals. Some became much stronger, and for some have faded away. It’s not that I love anyone any less, it’s just that we don’t align with how we’re living. And again, that’s ok!!!
3. Drinking wine most nights with dinner. This one happened naturally. It turns out that it’s wayyyyy easier to wake up before the crack of dawn when you skip the wine the night before. I still have a glass once during the week, and 1-2 times on the weekend, but that’s about it. 
4. Worrying about everything being PERFECT. I used to really struggle with, and sometimes still do struggle with, wanting everything to be perfect before I present it to the world. Perfection is the enemy of progress. Turns out, most people don’t even notice when you’re still a work in progress, and the people who love you don’t care that it’s not perfect. I spent too much time trying to make everything exact rather than letting it flow and evolve as needed.

creating a day worth enjoying

Morning IG checkin with the @toneitup community!  © Bainbridgekitchen.com

There is good in every day, and it's easiest to find it when you start the day on a positive note. My morning routine is a powerhouse in helping me live my best days as my best self. I start at least 4 weekdays with a morning workout. It's amazing how 30 minutes to get your heart pumping lifts you up all day long. Here are a few of the benefits I've received with an early wakeup call.

1. Starting my day with a workout means that by the time I get to work, I'm alert and ready to hit the ground running.
2. When I get home from work I have the opportunity to be 100% present with my family.
3. I am more conscious of my food choices because I started the day on a healthy note.
4. My husband gets a version of his wife with a few more endorphins, who also feels more confident in her skin.
5. No matter how sideways the day goes (and hello, there are always days that seem to get away from you) I was able to carve out time just for me. This does WONDERS for the soul. 

Truth. Am I going to sit here and pretend that getting out of bed before the sun is up is easy? NO. WAY! I literally psyche myself up every morning and give myself a countdown to get out of bed. Here's why- I never regret getting up early. I never regret a morning workout. That's what keeps me going, and helps me maintain the habit. It's knowing how much better I'll feel once I do it.

Silver lining of an early wake up- catching these amazing sunrises.  © Bainbridgekitchen.com

It took me a long time (31 years to be precise) to realize that MAKING TIME to care for me allowed me to bring my best self into whatever I was doing. If we only did things when we felt like it, or when we were motivated, or when we ‘found’ the time,  they’d never happen! Every day is meaningful. Every day deserves to have the most happiness and fulfillment squeezed out of it! You deserve to spend your time in a way that supports you becoming the best version of YOU! 

How do you intentionally spend your time? Share below in the comments!! 

Xo, Terra