A Wake Up Call- Stop Burning the Candle at Both Ends

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burning the candle at both ends

This morning was a serious wake up call. I woke up feeling so sick that I couldn’t go into my day job. I have seriously got to make some adjustments to the way I organize my time, my
business, my life. If I keep burning the candle at both ends there won’t be any light left for me or anyone else to enjoy. 

Folks chasing your dreams while trying to pay the bills- how do you organize your time to have it all?

I posted this originally on facebook this morning and Domestic Goddess Kristen behind the amazing blog The Road to Domestication had the best answer for me. Check out what she wrote:


I literally SCHEDULE IN down time. Sounded so dumb to me at first…but everything else in life takes up time, so why not schedule in some time to rest, too?!

I have also had to remind myself that I CANNOT DO IT ALL, and I can’t HAVE it all…and that is

okay. I prioritize the day – the things I HAVE to do, like go to my full-time job, because if I don’t do that, then I’m in trouble as far as budgetary needs, ha!


I make sure there is time to do something for MYSELF. As selfish as I thought that was at first, I realized that, if I crash and burn, I can’t do anything for anyone! And if I am rested, and happy, and not feeling stressed, I really can do everything else BETTER. Now, that doesn’t mean that I’m out getting a pedicure every week or anything. Sometimes doing something for myself is just going for a walk in peace and quiet…or going to bed early! LOL

New for me in 2014 is blocking. I have literally blocked out several months of the year so I don’t have anything else happening except photography, Or except insurance. Or except family time. Or anything else. Not only can you get more accomplished when you’re focused, but you don’t feel so scattered from having to fight 10 fires at once.

I don’t even know if any of that book I just wrote makes sense…but YOU asked! LOL….

We are the ones who have a hard time listening to our bodies But we only have one! Hard to remember, but true!

To me every single part of what Kristen wrote makes perfect sense. I think it’s exactly what I needed to read right now. I realize I can’t keep giving myself to everyone because that’s what caused me to wake up this morning and literally have nothing left. I could barely form a sentence when I called in sick. I had the most massive migraine and just took some Advil and went back to bed.

I normally get up at 6:30/7 at the latest and I slept in til 11 a.m. and felt so unaccomplished because of it. I just have been trying so hard to do so many things that my body slapped me silly this morning and then threw me back in bed.

Now I want YOU to chime in. How do YOU find a balance when trying to chase your dreams and maintain a day job?


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