tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15850670180078098852024-02-20T12:38:39.363-08:00Bikes, Baking and Baby!sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-54681694521237350862017-09-15T15:26:00.001-07:002017-09-15T15:26:13.162-07:00Peak Week: Body Building v IronmanPeak week has officially arrived! No longer is it months or weeks away, but merely days until I compete in my first body building competition! I'm more excited and less nervous than I thought I would be! As I drove to the gym this morning in Melbourne's arctic like weather, 6 degrees and pelting down with rain I saw some cyclists braving the elements and it made me start thinking about training for an ironman versus a body building comp!<div>When I was training for ironman I was training in excess of 20 hours a week, braving the elements, there were many a day that I resented having to train in the harsh winter conditions, but I did, because I had a goal in sight! To become an iron(wo)man! Never in the past year have I resented going to the gym, I love it so much that I actually feel upset if I miss a day due to circumstances out of my control! The gym is climate controlled so it doesn't matter if it's 5 degrees or 40 degrees, snowing or sunny! Sure the nutrition is a little harder, but again, I'm committed to the goal and as long as you have the right mindset, nothing is too hard!</div><div>With this week being peak weak I'll start water loading on Monday, for ironman I was instead carb loading! Instead of getting my bike serviced I'll be practicing my posing! I'll be getting everything ready for my comp day bag, but the list looks very different to a triathlon bag! So far the only similarities are Gatorade, towel, lollies and Vaseline! Whilst in ironman Vaseline came in handy to prevent chafing, apparently it will come in handy for next weekend for my gums so that my lips don't stick to them whilst I'm smiling on stage!! Yes that's right, I have to practice smiling too! Instead of coating my body in suncream, I'll instead be coating it in a very dark shade of fake tan!</div><div>Yesterday I had an interesting conversation with my boss, he said he was very surprised that I was doing a body building comp, getting up on stage for everyone to judge my physique, it's not who I am! Yet I beg to differ, this journey has given me so much more confidence, in so many aspects of my life, I'm actually not nervous at all about getting up on stage, nervous about nailing the poses, but not actually being on stage.</div><div>Just like ironman where I devoured icecream post race, I can't wait to eat a tub of the new magnum icecream post comp!</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-37771097160397856812017-06-07T23:48:00.001-07:002017-06-08T23:01:44.443-07:00Another year olderSo tomorrow I turn 35, yikes. I'm now officially mid 30's and one year closer to turning 40. When did this happen? 35 sounds old, when my parents were 35 they had 4 kids with me, the eldest already a teenager! As I sit here, relaxing on holiday in Bali with my almost 3 year old I find myself deep in thought on the eve of my 35th birthday. 5 years ago I celebrated turning 30 with a girls trip to Port Douglas where I'm sure each of us consumed our body weight in both cheese and wine! 5 years on I'm celebrating once again in a tropical location but girls trip has taken on an entirely different meaning as this girls trip is just me and my mini me. There will be no cocktails or cheese (ok maybe just a tiny bit). <div>Is this what I envisaged my life looking like at 35, a single mum, training for a body building comp, frustrated by a career in the corporate world? If you asked me 10 years ago what my life would look like now I would have said that I'd be married with 2 kids, be in a successful career and have completed Hawaiian Ironman! </div><div>I never did quite achieve my goal of Hawaiian Ironman, I did compete in one ironman event and after becoming a single mum I don't think I could ever find the time again to compete in triathlons competitively again. Hats off to the amazing mums who do! But am I disappointed, not at all. I'm happy that I completed one ironman and now I have found something new to train for. Something that is giving me a huge sense of satisfaction, fits in with my busy life, and I am genuinely passionate about! </div><div>Do I wish I was married with 2 kids? Some days sure. There are days I long for another baby, a brother or sister for Mia, there are days that I wish I had someone to share my life with, the good times and the bad. But I'm happy, I'm happy that I have been blessed with a beautiful little girl, for there are so many people not as fortunate as me.</div><div>I guess some would say that I have a successful career, perhaps I do. Perhaps it depends on the criteria by which you judge a successful career. I've worked hard over the years as a finance professional, even managing to somehow strike that elusive work life balance (or have I? Does it even exist?). Yet I find myself craving something more. Do I really want to keep crunching numbers into excel spreadsheets for the next 20 years? I find myself contemplating an entire career change. Years ago I saw a physcic who told me that one day I would have a very successful business, something that would help others. Maybe she was full of shit, or maybe she was right. Maybe I need to take a leap and do something I'm truly passionate about. Maybe I should stop with the what if's and actually jump off that cliff so I don't wake up in another 10 years time with regrets.</div><div>At 35, my life isn't quite what I thought it would look like, but I'm happy. My life is good, I don't have any regrets, I choose to accept things that have happened and learn from life's lessons. Now let's see how the next 10 years shape up! Maybe I'll become hooked on body building comps, maybe I'll turn grey from the stress of a 3 year old becoming a 13 year old (the teenage years scare the crap out of me, give me a toddler any day!) maybe I'll take that leap and leave the corporate world. Who knows! As long as in 10 years time I'm still happy and healthy and loving a life of no regrets!</div>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-34862036785898785222017-05-26T01:55:00.003-07:002017-05-26T01:55:25.679-07:00Bouncing back from rock bottom<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666984558105px;">
It takes a strong person to admit that they have hit rock bottom, but an even stronger one to rise to the top again. It’s so easy to portray an image of yourself that is always smiling and looks like you have your shit together when really you’ve crumbled inside. For a variety of different reasons recently I have found myself falling slowly down a hole, letting things get to me that I know I shouldn’t. </div>
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When someone told me earlier in the week that I didn’t know how easy I had it as a single mum I felt like punching a wall, how can it be that people can judge you purely based on your financial situation. Sure I have a successful career, but I have worked my arse off to get to where I am. I don’t have the support of family and friends on a daily basis to help me care for Mia and most of the time I feel pretty bloody isolated. I don’t get invited out by single friends because I’ve said no too many times because I’m home with my toddler, I don’t get invited to dinner parties with my friends in couples because I am not part of a couple. I actually like going to work because it means I get to interact with other adults, I call my dad on an almost daily basis just to hear a friendly voice when the house is so lonely and quiet once Mia has gone to bed.</div>
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I got an invite from work inviting me on a 3 day ‘Senior Leadership Retreat’ and I wanted to scream, it’s not a retreat when you sit here stressing about how on earth you are going to attend something that is intended to support your career development when you have no-one to look after your daughter, I’m under pressure to work out what I want from my career when right now I don’t even know what I want for my <a dir="ltr" href="x-apple-data-detectors://0" style="-webkit-text-decoration-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.258824); color: black;" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">dinner tonight</a>! </div>
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I let these, and other things really get me down this week until last night. For last night I gave myself a good hard slap in the face and told myself to snap out of it, I am better than that. </div>
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I put on my bikini and heels and decided to do some posing practice, I took a photo and in that instant I saw all of the hard work that I have put into my training over the past few months. I loved what I saw, I felt proud. To then receive some amazing comments on insta in relation to this photo made me feel even more awesome, especially coming from other inspiring and amazing fit mummas.</div>
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This morning I looked at my little girl, a tiny human that I created that brings be so much joy on a daily basis and I smiled. I thought about all of my amazing friends and family who listen to my problems day in and day out, yet never complain. I trained with my coach, who always manages to bring the best out of me and pushes me through my training. I started focusing only on the parts of my life that make me happy, sure there are parts of my life that I wish were different, but why waste time and energy focusing on these. Life’s too short to be sad, it’s too short to be grumpy. Each day is a gift, and right now all I care about is being the best bloody version of myself that I can be, an awesome mum, a happy and positive person and someone that is going to keep working their arse off for the next 4 months and get on stage in a skimpy bloody bikini and bring home a trophy. Hell yeah!</div>
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sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-78771387093301458932017-05-10T02:43:00.003-07:002017-05-10T02:43:58.432-07:00Being StrongStrength isn't about the size of your muscles or the weight on the squat rack at the gym, its about the strength you carry within you. I use the gym often as my escape, a place to prove to myself that I am strong, as the weights get heavier and my muscles more defined I continue to tell myself how strong I am. And then I have a day like yesterday, a day where I crumbled and felt weak, I let my emotions and insecurities get the better of me. Even a lunch time gym session didn't save me, the place that is usually my escape failed me, for the first time in months I couldn't even get through a full session, I felt defeated. A state of anxiousness had made me feel so sick that I felt weak at the gym and couldn't even stomach food.<br />
I spent my day feeling angry, angry that I had let myself get worked up over something that I shouldn't, angry that I had cried instead of staying strong, angry that I couldn't push through a training session, angry that I let personal life interfere with my work. I started to wonder how strong I truly was, doubting and questioning so many aspects of my life. Then I got home, I cuddled that gorgeous little girl of mine and I slowly felt my strength returning, I never realised just how much strength she brings me. An early night and a good night sleep (aside from being woken at 12.30am by a toddler insisting it was breakfast time) and its amazing how much better you can feel. A new day with new perspective, a chance to reflect on yesterday, realising that it's not worth allowing a few painful minutes ruin a day, a month, a year. A new day to rise and be stronger than yesterday, a new day to be a better version of me, a new day to smash those weights at the gym (well maybe not today, it's actually a rest day). A day like yesterday doesn't make me a weak person, in fact it only makes me stronger and makes me refocus on what is truly important in my life. <br />
<br />sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-6276294230415670562017-03-23T03:29:00.001-07:002017-03-23T03:49:51.178-07:00It's all about the mindsetAs I trained with my coach today I heard the words come out of my mouth "I can't do it" my coach's response was a simple "yes you can", and of course he was right. I could do it, sure it was hard and I struggled and had to pause during the set but I could do it and pushing that hard is what will make me stronger. It's too easy to tell yourself at times that you can't do something, and if you have that mindset then you won't. When I was in labor with Mia I never swore or screamed but I kept telling the midwives over and over again that I couldn't do it, again they responded simply with "you can, and you already are". So why is it so easy to place self doubt on yourself, to let your mind takeover and tell you that you can't do something. It's the mental strength that I need now more than ever, both in training and in life in general!! I know I can train hard, but at times it's easy to drop reps from a set, or lower the weight between sets when you are feeling fatigued, but that's just letting myself down and not maximizing my limited training time. <div>I also know that I'm a good mum, yet the last week self doubt has crept in here too. Evenings have been a battle to say the least with most nights ending in tears, the toddlers and my own. Yet again it all comes down to mindset, I can let myself become frustrated and overwhelmed and tell myself I can't deal with this. But that just exhasterbates the situation, instead I need to remind myself that I've got this and I am a good mum and this is just a phase (at least I pray it is).</div><div>Amusingly though if someone else tells me I can't do something, my reaction is the complete opposite, I make sure I can, so as to prove a point, it's my stubborn nature! So from now on I'm going to treat that voice inside my head as a complete stranger when it tells me I can't do something, and in the wise words of my coach simply respond with 'yes I can' and just get on with it. </div>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-43604269480737992032017-03-16T02:24:00.000-07:002017-03-16T02:24:23.424-07:00The feeling of resentment
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every day I set my alarm to a time that has a 4 at the start
of it, a time that many would still consider to be night time. I get myself ready for work, enjoy 5 minutes
of peace and quiet as I drink a coffee and then I do some chores or catch up on
work emails before its time to wake up my daughter. I enter the toddler’s den and as she stirs
and roles back over she grumbles “get out of my room mummy”, I sometimes wonder
if she really is a 2 year old and dread to think what the teenage years might
be like. I then commence the 15 minute
battle to get her out of bed and into clothes, often one item of PJ’s remain on
underneath clothing as I have learnt to pick my battles, pony tails and shoes
can wait until day care when the bear has fully awoken from her hibernation. We drive to day care, at times still often in
the dark, I give in and let her watch Peppa Pig on my phone. As I leave her at day care I get a severe
case of the mummy guilt, every single time, even though I know she loves it
there, is well cared for and is happy. I
still hate walking away from her, abandoning her and going to work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I go to work, power through as much as I possibly can in the
hours that I am there, for I don’t have the luxury of being able to stay back,
I have a little person waiting for me to pick her up at the end of the day,
waiting for her mummy to return and give her a hug. I squeeze in a gym session during my lunch
break, this is usually my only chance at me time for the day, my colleagues may
see it as a fitness obsession, for me I see it as my sanity. I race out of the office each day, feeling
guilty that I have left before my team and my co-workers, I drive to day care
and am greeted by a huge smile and hugs from my gorgeous little girl, again I
feel a pang of guilt that she has been there so long. We then get to drive home in peak hour
traffic, concentrating on driving whilst keeping the toddler entertained so to
avoid melt down mode.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we walk in the door each evening, it’s dinner, bath and
bed time routine, there is no time for fun and play. On a good night this is easy, we chat as she
eats and has her bath, we cuddle over bed time stories and we kiss each other
goodnight. On a bad night the bedtime
routine is full of screams and tears and can at times last hours, on these
nights I feel frustrated, I’m all alone and these can be the longest and
loneliest nights. I feel guilty that I
want her to go to sleep because I still have a million things to do, dishes,
laundry, more work and I don’t want to be up all night, I need sleep too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next day we start this all over again, this is my week,
this is my life. I find myself multiple
times a day feeling resentful towards the other parent, the one that tells me
that they are as much of a mum as I am.
The one that is absent all week, that goes to work, does their own thing
and then comes along on the weekends and gets to have the fun times. The one that says they miss out on so much
but doesn’t do anything about it, the one that never messages to ask how their
daughter is. The one that doesn’t worry about going to work and getting the
dreaded childcare phone call to pick up a sick child, the one that doesn’t have
to go about day to day life caring for themselves as well as a young child. The one that doesn’t contribute financially
to the care and wellbeing of their own child, the one that calls me selfish yet
continuously puts themselves and their needs ahead of their child’s. The one that believes that being a good parent
is just about having fun, that routine isn’t important. The one that chooses to hate the mother of
their child, rather than being mature and having a co-parenting relationship
that enables the best care for their child.
I allow myself to feel so anxious every time receive a text message from him, for I fear that every conversation results in some form of conflict, I'm too scared to have any form of discussion about the care of our daughter. I have come to fear the conflict so much that I choose to avoid it and find instead I start a war inside myself, every day angry and resentful. I hate that I allow myself to feel this way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is my life, every day I provide my daughter with the
best possible care that I can, I face the attack of the mummy guilt on a daily,
sometimes hourly basis. I provide routine
and discipline, I don’t get the luxury of always being the fun parent, I do the
hard work all week with no support, only for someone else to come along and
take away my opportunities for quality fun times. I hope that one day my daughter is old enough
to realise that being a good parent is more than just providing fun times, it’s
providing care and support every single day, emotionally and financially. It’s about having fun, providing education,
teaching right from wrong, being strong at times and not giving into the
toddler demands, even though sometimes it would be far easier. </span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-405640702098928232017-03-07T02:18:00.001-08:002017-03-07T02:33:06.524-08:00When someone tells you that you can't!<div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mia has a series of Peppa Pig books that are about members of her family, My Mummy, My Grandpa etc. My favourite page in the My Mummy book is where Peppa says “My mummy can do anything she puts her mind to, especially when someone tells her she can’t” damn straight you cute little Peppa Pig! It seems Mia and Peppa have something in common (aside from their love of George!) they both have determined mummies who CAN do anything! So you could only imagine my reaction recently when finding out that a colleague had told another colleague that there was no possible way I could win my competition in September. Not, “it will be difficult for her to win”, or “she will have some strong competition”, but rather “there is no possible way that she can win”. This then sparked a healthy debate that somehow led to a bet between colleagues around my ability to win or not to win (apparently there is now a whole betting syndicate that has started up!). Little did this colleague know that by making this comment he has only spurred me on even further, given me the motivation to push that extra 10% each day. I can guarantee that come September I will be taking to the stage the best possible body that I can, I will be working my butt off (literally) over the next 6 months to ensure that I give myself the best possible chance at winning. But I’m not doing any of this for anyone else, I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone other than myself. For this comp is all for me, whether I win against other competitors on the day or not I will always be a winner against myself if I know that I have given it my all. When I used to compete in triathlon I always knew that if I crossed that finish line with nothing left in the tank then I couldn’t have done any better. This is a completely different world as it’s not about how fast I can go or my endurance, rather I am going to be up on stage in a bikini and heels in front of a panel of judges and an audience (yikes!) and I will be judged on my physique up against other amazing girls. But there are some similarities to my triathlon days, preparation is key, even more so, if I don’t give it my all during the next 6 months then it will show up on stage. I need to remain mentally strong, push myself in the training and be committed to the nutrition. And of course practice make perfect! Just like focusing on swimming, cycling and running technique is extremely important I am going to have to practice posing like there is no tomorrow, for posing will certainly not be my strength. But like in triathlon, I was able to turn swimming from a weakness into a strength, I am hoping the same can be said for posing. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So I’m not angry or disappointed that someone has doubted my ability to win, in some way’s I am happy, it has sparked a new fire inside me, one that is going to push me to the max and if I do manage to win in September then perhaps I owe a big thanks to this colleague (perhaps!).</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-83184106732362861862017-02-17T15:37:00.002-08:002017-02-17T15:37:51.018-08:00Miss Independent<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">As I watch my little girl grow more and more each day, I see her independence strengthen by the minute and I realise quickly that the young girl I see in front of me is just a pint sized version of myself. From a young age I've always been fairly independent. My parents raised me to be a strong and independent young woman.</span><br />
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Unfortunately sometimes I think perhaps I'm too independent, it's not always a positive trait. I struggle to ask others for help, for I am too proud and have to do everything myself. Yesterday as someone offered to give me a hand carrying my bags I politely declined and then I heard a little parrot pipe in "we're all good, thanks" at 2, she is already turning down assistance and insisting on doing everything on her own. I suppose I should at least be grateful that she used her manners!</div>
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I often find it hard to let others in, sure I have amazing friends but I often keep them at an arms length and don't share a lot of my feelings with them. I'd rather people see me as strong and independent with no weaknesses. I often believe that the reason I am single is because I'm too independent, I like my life the way it is, I like doing what I want and went I want. Perhaps that's just known as selfishness as opposed to being independent, maybe.</div>
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I'm self sufficient and have been for a long time, I earn my own money, I can change a tyre on my car, I can fix my bike, in most aspects of life I'm pretty good at fending for myself. I've always thought it's a great thing to be self sufficient and independent but as I watch my little girl grow I realise that it's not all it's cracked up to be. It's my job to teach her that independence is good, but it's also good to let others in to help you. Don't put up you wall so high that no one can ever climb over, don't keep your friends at arms length, let them in for the good and the bad. Be self sufficient but don't be too proud to be resourceful and seek help from those around you.</div>
sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-87853921716684467672017-02-09T03:20:00.003-08:002017-02-09T03:20:51.837-08:00ChoicesWe make choices every single day of our lives, sometimes these are just small choices like; what to eat for breakfast, what clothes to wear to work, to exercise or not to exercise, to make or buy lunch. Whatever it may be it all comes down to choice, and the choice is always your choice! So often lately I hear people complaining that they don't have time to exercise, there isn't enough hours in the day. Everyone has 24 hours in a day, no more, no less and everyone has the choice as to how they use those hours. Usually it comes down to your priorities and what you choose to prioritize over something else. Never say you didn't do something because you didn't have the time, you chose not to do something because you chose to do something else.<br />
We also have choices in life as to how we react to certain situations, the behaviours we display. We can choose to be negative, to gossip, to blame others. Or we can choose to be positive, take responsibility for our own actions and compliment others. It's so often too easy for people to lay blame on someone else when life doesn't go the way you wanted it to or planned for it. Afterall it's easier to blame someone else than to take ownership of your own actions. It's easier to play the victim and receive sympathy from others than to look at yourself in the mirror and say "shit, I screwed up my life"<br />
It takes a strong person to admit their mistakes, to realise that it's their choices that led them to where they are in life right now. Unfortunately there are far too many weak people out there, these people will always complain there are not enough hours in the day, that nothing is ever their fault when life goes wrong. They will also always be miserable in life because they don't own their life, they don't own the choices that they make.<br />
So next time you make a choice, remember it is always YOUR CHOICE.<br />
Choose to do what makes you happy, choose to live your life the way that you want to live it, choose to prioritize what's important to you and make it happen.sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-29997422653481574142017-01-13T17:36:00.001-08:002017-01-13T17:36:17.905-08:00Time to slow downI'm known as someone who doesn't have a slow speed, I'm always on the go and trying to do a million things at once. On vacation in Hawaii once, a local told me I was walking too fast and that it was a crime in Hawaii!<div>The other day I realised just how precious time with my little girl is and that its okay to slow down and enjoy time with her and not have to be trying to do everything all at once. So this morning I did everything at her pace and also everything that she wanted me to and I had the best morning as a mummy in a long time. She was happy and I was happy. We rode our bike to the cafe and enjoyed sitting next to each other chatting away as we ate. When we got home I happily obliged to help her bath her babies and get them ready for bed. I love her motherly instincts and watching her with her baby dolls. She made me my pretend coffee, fed me pretend ice creams and gave me a pretend haircut. I endured half an hour of Peppa Pig as she lay snuggled in my lap, I breathed in the smell of her hair and held her chubby little hands. Even when I put her down for a nap, instead of rushing back downstairs to do jobs, I lay down next to her for a few minutes, holding her in my arms and telling her the story of when she was born. According to her, it got too dark in my tummy and she kicked her way out!</div><div>She was happy and perfectly behaved all morning, because I was 100% present the whole time. It's taken time, but she's making me realise the importance of slowing down and truly appreciating living in the moment. Thankyou my little girl, for teaching me what's important in life, for being patient with me and sharing your beautiful world with me.</div>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-25029998995199276242017-01-10T02:41:00.001-08:002017-01-10T02:41:32.114-08:00The new challengeI've been somewhat secretive about my new training challenge, most have now put two and two together but for those still in the dark, yes I have decided to enter a body sculpting comp! Why? Why not! Common words to describe me are determined, motivated and competitive! I'm always up for a good challenge and it's been awhile, 5 years ago to be exact since I stepped out of my comfort zone and embarked on my last big challenge. For years I've toyed with the idea of maybe entering a comp, I've always had the ability to build muscle fairly easily so it seemed like a logical challenge. But it's something I've only now finally decided to do seriously. I've been training towards it for the last 14 weeks, but a part of me kept telling myself that I would just do the training, get my body to the point I could do a comp but not actually do the comp. I love the training, but the thought of getting up on stage in a skimpy bikini and attempting to walk in high heels as I'm being watched and judged scares the crap out of me. Not to mention the prospect of looking like an Oompa Loompa with all that fake tan!!<div>But last week it suddenly dawned on me that in 6 months I turn 35, yikes! Surely it hasn't been 10 years since I turned 25 and suffered my quarter life crisis, is it too early for a mid life crisis?!</div><div>So with my 35th birthday now only 6 months away I've decided to commit to doing a comp and what better day to do one than the day after my birthday. At least I can then celebrate with champagne and cake after the comp!!</div><div>Am I crazy, probably, am I determined to give this a go, absolutely. The next 6 months will test me both physically and mentally but I'm up for the challenge and maybe ticking something off the bucket list won't make turning 35 seem quite so bad afterall.</div>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-81919997768740148242016-11-01T08:25:00.001-07:002016-11-01T08:25:48.609-07:00It's ok to say no sometimesI've often found it difficult to say no to people, I used to find myself saying yes to everything and everyone and over committing myself. Since becoming a mum I've finally started to feel more comfortable in saying no to people (perhaps it's a more common word in my vocabulary after dealing with a toddler!) I've often felt guilty when saying no, recently however, I attended a Buiness Chicks function where Zoe Foster Blake was speaking and she spoke about how when you say no to others you are actually saying yes to yourself. By not prioritizing doing something for someone else you are preserving time to do something for yourself. I'd never really looked at it that way before, but as I often find myself verging on the edge of overload this has been extremely useful advice to take in and last night I needed to give myself a kick up the bum and remind myself of this very advice. I was recently given an opportunity at work that could have been great for my career (it also could have completely set me up for failure), I made the conscious decision to say no and ever since, have felt guilty and worried that perhaps this could have been a career limiting move. It was only after talking to my dad last night (a great man of so much wisdom) that I realised yet again that it was ok to say no. With so many other priorities on at work at the moment, not to mention my priority to be the best mum I can be to my daughter I said no to ensure I kick ass at being a mum. Which right now is feeling pretty bloody tough when I'm also faced with sleep deprivation due to a toddler who now seems scared to go to sleep.<div>Sure sometimes my decisions may reflect poorly on the eyes of others, but right now at this point in my life there is only one set of eyes that are important to me, those big blue eyes of a 2 year old little girl looking up at me.<div>She is the reason I find myself saying no, because right now in my life she is my number one priority so I choose to say yes to things that make me a good mum, and if that means saying no to others then so be it. I've recently learnt to say yes to myself and re<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">prioritize being fit and healthy because this makes me happy and being happy makes me a better mum. I found that I was prioritizing everything and everyone above my own needs and I didn't like the person I was becoming.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">So if you find yourself in a situation where you feel guilty for saying no to someone, remember that you're actually saying yes to yourself. Prioritizing time is tough, even tougher when you've got little people that need your time to. Take a little time to prioritize you!</span></div></div>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-19403199918694688902016-10-06T14:14:00.001-07:002016-10-06T14:14:26.918-07:00My StoryI thought long and hard about writing this blog, and then even harder about whether to post it or not. But here goes nothing.<div>I love my beautiful girl more than anything in this world, but truth be told I wasn't ready for a baby or the life that I now have. I fell pregnant having only been in a relationship for 6 months, and at the time it was a painful decision about what to do but in my heart I knew there was only ever one answer and that was to have the baby. I was happy, in love and whilst scared I was excited about becoming a mum as it was something I had always wanted. After getting through the initial shock that we were pregnant, we were both pretty excited. At 9 weeks though I had some bleeding and I knew something wasn't right, sure enough a scan the following day confirmed my worst fear, I had lost my baby. This was the hardest time in my life, I was so distraught by grief and I felt that the only way to ever be happy was to get pregnant again, holding a baby in my arms was the only way to cure my grief. In hindsight I should have sought help to deal with my grief. I should have realised that maybe this was a sign that I wasn't ready to have a baby, I wasn't in the right relationship. But at this point in my life I didn't think at all with my head, I let my heart rule the way and I became pregnant again very quickly. Now 3 years on I am a mum to a beautiful, independent and adventurous toddler, she is my absolute world and I now can't imagine a life without her. Yes I am now on my own, I juggle motherhood and a career as best as I can but I love my life</div><div>(most of the time). </div>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-32003253255781232522016-08-28T01:41:00.001-07:002016-08-28T01:58:59.684-07:00Gym etiquette!So I've recently reignited my love for training. I've always loved to keep fit and for most of my 20's I trained for triathlons, however after completing an ironman and retiring from triathlon I've been up and down with training. Being a single mum and working full time also doesn't allow a whole heap of time for training either, but with a new found focus and something new to train for I have found myself spending a lot of time at the gym lately. Not quite to the same levels of my early twenties when I was there so often my dad started telling people I had a new boyfriend and his name was 'Jim'! It never ceases to amaze me the people you see whilst working out in the gym, I've been getting my fix of people watching at the same time as working out. <div>There are the girls with the faces full of makeup that walk at snail pace on the treadmill whilst texting or reading trashy mags, making sure they don't work up a sweat and ruin their makeup.</div><div>The guys that go in groups and spend more time checking out their muscles in the mirrors than actually lifting any weights.</div><div>The grunters, those that can't lift a single weight without the whole gym hearing them. Sure if you are doing an absolute max effort and exerting yourself, but the other day I thought I was in the gym with Maria Sharapova, when a girl was grunting with every single rep.</div><div>There are the show offs, the guys like one today who set the weights on the machine so high that they have to use the worst possible form to even make the weights move. </div><div>The ones that sit on the equipment on their phone for longer than they actually use the equipment, ensuring they piss those off who are waiting for the machine. Or worse, the ones who talk to loudly on their phone, again whilst hogging equipment. </div><div>Or my personal favorite is when you are in an empty gym, there are 30 treadmills and only one person on them, but the next gym goer has to come in and set up on the one right next to you.</div><div>Then of course there are those who don't wear enough deodorant (if at all), don't wipe their sweat off the equipment, don't re stack the weights, hog five pieces of equipment and one time and spend 10 minutes in the shower during peak hour when there is a line waiting outside.</div><div>I'm loving getting back into some serious training, and do always love a bit of good people watching, especially when it gives me enough content for a new blog post!</div>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-74280819545588254642016-08-21T02:23:00.001-07:002016-08-21T02:23:52.298-07:00Toddler TroublesAs an adult, I find many things to be stressful, frustrating or upsetting. Today I started to understand the frustrations a toddler faces, to me all of these things seem insignificant but to a 2 year old that has yet to experience much of the world, these were all moments that led to tears.<div>Firstly the concept of having to share, if I want a toy then why should I not be able to have it? Why should another child be able to play with it? And of course even in a room filled with toys, children always have to fight over the same toy.</div><div>Next was the babycino dilemma, whilst being a very well behaved little girl and patiently waiting for her babycino a look of disgust appeared when mummy's coffee arrived first. Seriously, do they not recognise that babycino's are far more important than coffee? Upon receiving the babycino I watched her little eyes search the plate for the holy grail that is the marshmallow. As she realised that one very important component of her babycino was missing the tears started to fall. We're not talking toddler tantrums but rather a really emotional cry, as if one had just lost her best friend. I mean what kind of cafe doesn't have marshmallows! Mental note to self, in future check if cafe has marshmallows before ordering a babycino.</div><div>Then of course are the bedtime dramas, when one insists on wearing the peppa pig pyjamas but doesn't understand why she can't? Wet washing, seriously mum, you should have thought ahead and made sure the pj's were dry before bed time. Then to add to the frustration when mummy really can't understand what book it is you are asking for. We do both speak English, so I don't understand how hard it could be to know that I want to read 'Dear Zoo'!</div><div>Today taught me that everyone has frustrations in life, things may upset some more than others. I realised that whilst my daughter's problems may seem insignificant to me, to her they were huge. Everyone's entitled to show their frustrations and emotions, we are only human afterall. </div>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-28046618607312564312016-08-13T03:01:00.001-07:002016-08-13T03:01:16.524-07:00Baking for the baby!Well the baby is not quite a baby anymore, in fact she turns 2 on Monday. Last year I was smart enough to outsource the first birthday cake to a friend who makes amazing cakes, this year however in an effort to prove something to myself I decided to make her a birthday cake! I found the perfect cake and had my heart set on creating her something special (not that she'll care or ever remember it though!) From start to finish the whole thing has been a disaster! I found myself on Friday night baking 3 cakes to build a layer cake, after cooking them I decided the cake wasn't going to be high enough so I baked another two! Today in reading the recipe for the butter icing I decided it wouldn't be enough for the cake so I doubled the recipe, 1.3kg of butter and 12 cups of icing sugar later I had enough icing to cover a house. The icing was meant to be a pale blue but instead became a shade of green instead! The tower of cakes surrounded in butter icing actually turned out pretty well. However tonight came the hard part, pouring icing over the top to give it the drip look effect, now I just have one very messy cake with icing running everywhere! Nothing like the cake I had desired to make. Part of me wants to bin the whole thing and start again, the other part has no energy to even contemplate baking ever again! So here I am feeling like a failure of a mum all because I stuffed up a silly birthday cake for a 2 year old that will never even remember it. sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-19652857937810082362016-07-06T01:43:00.001-07:002016-07-06T01:43:16.424-07:001 step forward and 2 steps back!After a recent relaxing holiday in Fiji, I returned home feeling invigorated with a new lease on life. I threw myself back into exercise, maintained a positive attitude at work and stopped worrying about things outside of my control. 4 weeks later and I feel like I've completely gone back to pre holiday mode! I've managed to get the mum flu, it's kind of like the normal flu but nobody cares and there's no time to rest from it when constantly chasing an energetic toddler. Being sick has meant no exercise and craving winter comfort food! Whilst my positive attitude towards work has remained, juggling work and motherhood is one constant obstacle course. Monday I found out that Mia's childcare will be closing at the end of the year so I'm now on a mission to find a new one. Yesterday in the middle of my work day I was called to collect her from childcare as she was suspected to have hand, foot and mouth disease (turns out she doesn't). So instead of a productive afternoon in the office I attempted to work at home with a toddler hanging off me as I typed up emails and whilst on the phone to a work colleague I had to run after her around the house to stop her drawing on the furniture with crayons! The holiday now feels like a distant memory, though another one is now only 2 months away. I may have retired from triathlon but this new form of racing is far more exhausting and there is no finisher medal and towel and the end of the 12 hour event! Just a messy house, mounting piles of laundry, a work to do list that is ever expanding, and a beautiful sleeping toddler!sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-65974557329953029762016-06-08T13:30:00.001-07:002016-06-08T13:30:56.488-07:00Travelling with a toddlerI've always enjoyed travelling and according to my Facebook memories, June is a popular time of year for me to holiday! 5 years ago I was holidaying in Hawaii with a group of triathlon friends, I was in peak fitness and competing in the Hawaii 70.3. 4 years ago I was away on a girls trip in Port Douglas celebrating my 30th birthday where we consumed what seemed like a year's supply of wine and cheese. 3 years ago I found myself in a less tropical location, Ballarat of all places (though I was meant to be in Thailand - long story). The last 2 years with an impending birth and then an almost one year old, I found myself remaining at home. This year I am once again on holiday for my birthday, in the tropical destination of Fiji with my little mini me as my travel companion. Gone are the days of relaxing on the flight, reading books and watching movies, instead I found myself desperately trying anything to entertain an almost 2 year old for 5 hours, of which one I was stuck standing at the back of the plane as it was the only place she was calm!<div>I had visioned days playing happily in the pool, relaxing in the sun, reading whilst she napped. However it appears the water was too cold for my little princess, whilst other parents couldn't drag their children away from the pool I couldn't drag mine into it. She was happy enough sitting on the step splashing her feet and soon enough I realised that was actually pretty relaxing, so there we waded in the water, splashing and smiling.</div><div>We wanted to go on a cruise out to the islands and somehow a guilable me got roped into a deal where the day cruise only cost $5, the only catch was I had to attend a 90 minute sales pitch at another resort, sure, why not! Luckily for me, Mia decided to be cranky at just the right moment so we didn't have to endure the whole sales pitch and we still got the $5 cruise! Best $5 ever spent! We had a great day out on an island, the water was beautiful, I was relaxed, Mia was happy and the weather was amazing. We even ran into some friends of my brother Sam (small world!) Mia loved the Fijian music and dancing and she behaved so beautifully even having not had a nap all day. This warm weather holiday was benefiting us both! It would have almost have been the perfect day if not for this mornings disasters! When I got Mia up this morning I found her in a cot full of vomit, of course she didn't want to be bathed either! There were toys and books to be cleaned, a toddler to be bathed and clothes to be washed. Ordinarily I would have found this to be a stressful situation, but not today, we were in no hurry, we were relaxed on holiday! So instead of getting frustrated with the toddler that refused to bath I remained positive and calm and in turn she co-operated. All was going well until she called out from the bath a little agitated, I went to see what was wrong, only to find poo floating in the bath! So spew and poo all in the one morning, great start to a day in paradise! So whilst I may be on holiday from my paid work, there really is never a holiday from being a mum and that includes cleaning up spew and poo. But the memories we made today are worth every single painful moment that sometimes can be motherhood. Tonight as I drank a glass of wine on the balcony, Mia came up to me with her bottle of water in hand and raised it up to say 'cheers', I couldn't have been prouder! On Friday I will celebrate my 34th birthday, Mia of course will have no idea, but I will get to spend my special day with one very special little lady in a beautiful tropical island and if all she does is raise her bottle for a 'cheers' then that will be the best birthday present ever!<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-70134767915484276242016-05-18T03:54:00.001-07:002016-05-18T03:54:26.553-07:00Feeling GuiltyWith motherhood has come a feeling that I had rarely ever felt before, the constant feeling of guilt. <div>When I'm at work I find myself feeling guilty for being a working mum and not spending more precious time with my little girl who is growing up far too quickly. When I leave work at 5pm on the dot I feel guilty that I'm not in the office working more hours, even though I know I'll be putting in those extra hours in the evening once Mia is in bed. I feel guilty that I'm not the same career driven woman I used to be, guilty that my priorities have shifted now that I'm a mum.</div><div>I find myself desperately wanting some 'me time' to cycle, to sleep in, to go out with friends but when I do finally get that precious time, I end up not enjoying it as much as I should as I again feel guilty for being away from my beautiful girl. I spend enough hours working that I should want to spend all of my non working hours having fun with my daughter.</div><div>Lately I've been tired and my baby is becoming a toddler that has attitude, by the end of the day I'm exhausted and at times feel frustrated when she doesn't co-operate. Again I find myself feeling guilty, she's just a very small human still finding her place in this world and it's my job to have the patience to guide her without getting frustrated.</div><div>So maybe you can try to do everything; juggle a career, be a mum and still be yourself. You just end up spending all of your time feeling guilty for not doing something else!</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-45244699849645053742016-04-25T03:20:00.001-07:002016-04-25T03:20:31.451-07:00Travelling, Toddlers and TantrumsToday I was that mum on the plane with the hysterical toddler, half of the plane felt pity for me whilst the other half probably wondered why I couldn't get her to stop crying. It was so horrific that the couple sitting next to me had to move seats. At one point I thought Mia was going to be sick she had herself worked up so much. A delayed flight combined with an overtired toddler are really not a good combination. I sat there in tears myself, willing her to be quiet and stop crying, I felt terrible for her, seeing her so upset, I felt bad for the other passengers having to listen to her and I wanted to be any place but there. She did eventually fall asleep and I sat there for the whole flight trapped under a snotty, sweaty little toddler, too scared to move even an inch for fear she would wake again and start screaming again. As I looked at her peacefully sleeping I started to think about our upcoming holiday to Fiji and now fear the trip immensely! I don't think I could possibly handle another flight ordeal like the one we endured today. Travelling solo with a toddler is certainly a challenge, as much as I love my mini me I fear the days of having a relaxing holiday are long gone!sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-30574278309362711482016-03-26T02:01:00.001-07:002016-03-26T02:01:57.094-07:00FriendsNever underestimate the true value of a great friendship. So many different friends enter our lives over the years, some that will stay for a lifetime and others maybe only for a season. This weekend I have had the pleasure in being able to spend Easter with a number of friends and it's made me feel so lucky to have so many truly amazing people in my life.<div>There is my awesome kiwi cycling buddy who is always willing to meet at crazy hours of the morning, even at 6am on Good Friday in the dark. Couldn't have thought of a better way to start Easter than to cycle a few km's on the bike whilst debriefing about our week! This friendship was one that evolved through a shared love of triathlons and whilst we don't train to race any more we still like to push each other out on the bike.</div><div>To undo all the work on the bike I then had the pleasure of an afternoon of cheese and champagne with 3 beautiful girls that I've known now for 20 years. Makes me feel very old to say that out loud! I've known these friends since high school and whilst our lives have all gone in different directions and we really don't share common interests we're always there for each other. These are the friends I can laugh with, I can cry with and I never ever care what they think of me. With one of these friends so close that she was even there to share in the birth of my daughter.</div><div>Today I was invited to a BBQ at a friends place, someone who I also met through triathlon but only really became close with when we were both single and going through a slightly crazy time in our lives, I feel that this is a friend that came into my life for a reason! Since becoming a mum and our lives going in different directions I haven't really spent much time with her but when the espresso martinis were served this afternoon it did bring back some fun memories!</div><div>And finally tomorrow I will have the pleasure of having coffee with a truly dear friend of mine, who in some ways feels like a bit of a mother to me. She's my rock when I need advice, always so calm and collected. Again someone that I really don't have a lot in common with, we met through work and over the years have become very close. She's helped me move houses, bid at auctions for me, cared for my daughter, listened to me complain about work, life, anything! </div><div>I feel truly blessed to have so many beautiful friends in my life, whether I see them weekly, monthly or only once a year. So thank you for being my friend!</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-54603157106912161402016-03-04T01:25:00.001-08:002016-03-04T01:25:36.963-08:00Getting out of a rutLately I have found myself in a rut that I haven't seemed to be able to get out of. There doesn't seem to be one individual thing driving this rut, just a number of smaller things that I've allowed to compound into a deep rut.<div>I've found myself not exercising, finding a million excuses not to, no time, too tired, too many other things to do. Yet I know that being fit is one of the things that makes me feel good about myself and contributes to my happiness.</div><div>I've found myself getting frustrated with my job, but not for any real reason, I think the juggling act of full time work and motherhood has started to take its toll and I feel like I'm not doing either to the best of my ability which frustrates the hell out of me. I always love to put 110% into everything I do and so when I'm not I get dissapointed with myself.</div><div>I've been on the search for a new house, a place to call home for Mia and I. I fell in love with a beautiful place that would have been perfect for us, only to get outbid at auction last week which really got me down. The search is time consuming and draining and so not my style! I like to decide on something and just go out and get it, not have to fight for it!</div><div>I've felt like I've been in some kind of mid life crisis, where I woke up one day and started wondering how the hell my life got to be the way it is. </div><div>Then this morning as I watched my super adorable little mini me walking around the house with her cute blonde pigtails with her hand out saying 'stop' I did just that, I stopped. I paused and took a deep breath and I let it out with a huge sigh of relief and a smile on my face. I realised that the answer to my rut was to stop all of my negative thoughts and think only positively. I gave that adorable little girl a huge hug and a kiss and we did a little dance as we walked out the door. I spent the day feeling positive with work, refocused and managing one thing at a time and not worrying about anything outside of my control. </div><div>It's amazing how the power of positive thought can really change your whole outlook. Now if only the power of positive thought could just find me a new house for the right price!</div><div><br></div>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-22064750188814866192016-02-13T11:14:00.001-08:002016-02-13T14:30:09.342-08:00Enjoy life - do whatever makes you happy!It seems that all too often these days we are taking on the advice of others, whether the advice is coming from friends, family, or so called experts. Everyone seems to have an opinion on the 'right' way to live life. What you should eat, wear, drink (or not drink), how to raise children, where to invest money, the list goes on.<div>There is no 'right' way to live life, but there is only 'one' way to live life and that is to live life doing whatever makes you happy! Happiness will be different for every single person so don't ever feel guilty for doing what makes you happy. Don't judge others and what they do, as long as they are happy in life then what should it matter to you what they are doing! Don't envy others and their happiness, you choose everything you do in life so choose to do what makes you happy. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-40212254633959111132016-02-04T03:20:00.001-08:002016-02-05T16:36:59.051-08:00I'm not busy!!I'm not busy says she who by 11am on a Saturday morning has already cycled 70km, washed and hung out 3 loads of laundry, cleaned out the fridge and freezer, menu planned and grocery shopped and even washed one very dirty bike!!<div><br></div><div>This past week I attended a networking event hosted by Westpac Bank where the guest speaker was Kate Christie, author of a book called Me Time - The Professional Woman's Guide to finding 30 guilt-free hours a month! It was a great event and she spoke about being busy and how we can be less busy in our lives, sharing 5 key tips!</div><div><br></div><div>Positive Mindset</div><div>I don't know how many times when someone asks me how I am my immediate response is 'I'm good, but so busy at the moment' and quickly the conversation can turn to a negative one about how busy everyone is. So yesterday when a colleague asked how I was I replied with 'I'm really good!' Her response back was 'busy though right?' to which I laughed and said no! My response no doubt surprised her so I had to launch into an explanation about the event I had attended the previous evening. From now on I'm going to think of myself as being super productive which is far more positive than saying I'm busy! And to be honest 80% of my busyness is all of my own doing!</div><div><br></div><div>Stop Multitasking!</div><div>Apparently despite the common belief that women are great multitaskers there is only 2% of the population that are genuinely good at multi-tasking so to be more productive in our days we should all stop multitasking!! When it comes to the work place I completely agree with this, I know how disruptive a simple check of an email or text can be when I'm in the middle of working on something. I even pulled myself up the other day when I was trying to pull together 2 presentations at the same time and could quickly see a disaster unfolding so closed one and focused on finishing one at a time. However at home I genuinely do believe I am a good multitasker so perhaps I fit within the 2% of the population!! I can cook 2 meals whilst doing the dishes and putting on the laundry! Sure there have been times when the recipe hasn't quite gone to plan because I've missed out vital ingredients, but largely at home I think I can multitask!!</div><div><br></div><div>Say 'no' in a nice way!</div><div>So many of my friends and colleagues complain all the time about how busy they are but they generally have one thing in common, they can't say no to people, they are too nice!! You don't have to be rude when saying no, but for our own sanity we have to stop committing to too many things and learn how to politely say no to people. There is absolutely nothing wrong with saying no!! Choose the things you want to say yes to and politely say no to anything else!!</div><div><br></div><div>Put a price on your time</div><div>Work out an hourly rate for yourself and think about how much money is then wasted on time zapping activities, the example that was used on the evening was that if you value your time at $50 an hour and you spend one hour per day on Facebook then you are wasting $18,000 per year!! Now I'm pretty sure if someone said to you that it was going to cost you $50/hour to use Facebook most people would stop using it!! The other tip was to insource!! There are plenty of things your kids can be doing to help out and save you time, apparently a 7 year old is capable of making their own school lunches - hopefully they are also capable of cleaning up the mess afterwards! I wonder what chores I can start giving to an 18month old, other than of course the laundry which she seems to have mastered!!</div><div><br></div><div>Outsourcing</div><div>Going on with the theme of valuing your time she spoke about how often it can be cheaper to outsource activities when you put an hourly rate on your time, often you can get someone to do something at a lower rate and more efficiently!! I am all for outsourcing having recently rehired a cleaner that has given me back my weekends to focus on activities that I enjoy and spending more valuable time with my precious little girl. Sure I could be saving that money but if you value your time as money too then really I'm ahead.</div><div><br></div><div>After the event I started to think about where all my time went and how I could save more time, I realised quickly that I spend far too much time on social media and other online activities with this often eating into precious sleep time. So this weekend I am going out and buying an alarm clock so I don't have to use my phone as an alarm and each night when I go to bed the phone can stay in the kitchen! So many an evening I go to bed and I just do a quick check of emails which turns into a check of Instagram and then Facebook then realestate.com and so forth and before I know it I've lost an hour of sleep time!! I'm also going to be smarter with cooking, there is no need to cook gourmet meals each night of the week, no one died from eating just meat and veg, sure it's not quite as exciting but such a quick and easy option and still very nutritious!!</div><div><br></div><div>So next time someone asks you how you are, don't say busy and if you are super busy then think about what you can do to change it and what you would do with your time if you could get back an hour a week!!</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1585067018007809885.post-145505645089885332016-01-25T00:17:00.001-08:002017-02-17T01:59:57.644-08:00Being IndependentAs I watch my little girl grow more and more each day, I see her independence strengthen by the minute and I realise quickly that the young girl I see in front of me is just a pint sized version of myself. From a young age I've always been fairly independent. My parents raised me to be a strong and independent young woman.<div>Unfortunately sometimes I think perhaps I'm too independent, it's not always a positive trait. I struggle to ask others for help, for I am too proud and have to do everything myself. Yesterday as someone offered to give me a hand carrying my bags I politely declined and then I heard a little parrot pipe in "we're all good, thanks" at 2, she is already turning down assistance and insisting on doing everything on her own. I suppose I should at least be grateful that she used her manners!</div><div>I often find it hard to let others in, sure I have amazing friends but I often keep them at an arms length and don't share a lot of my feelings with them. I'd rather people see me as strong and independent with no weaknesses. I often believe that the reason I am single is because I'm too independent, I like my life the way it is, I like doing what I want and went I want. Perhaps that's just known as selfishness as opposed to being independent, maybe.</div><div>I'm self sufficient and have been for a long time, I earn my own money, I can change a tyre on my car, I can fix my bike, in most aspects of life I'm pretty good at fending for myself. I've always thought it's a great thing to be self sufficient and independent but as I watch my little girl grow I realise that it's not all it's cracked up to be. It's my job to teach her that independence is good, but it's also good to let others in to help you. Don't put up you wall so high that no one can ever climb over, don't keep your friends at arms length, let them in for the good and the bad. Be self sufficient but don't be too proud to be resourceful and seek help from those around you.</div>sozza_10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00715521488590552647noreply@blogger.com0