Well it is new year and with it come new challenges. One of the biggest challenges I face as an equestrian is balancing my home, work, personal and equestrian life. I wish that I had answers to this difficult question, but alas... I can only share my triumphs and bellyflops ( of which there are more than I want to own up to!!).
Triumph number one is the fact that I am doing well balancing my home and work life pretty well... mostly I am doing a pretty good job being a Mom and good employee. Triumph number two, both children are in school for most of the day, which gives me time to do more during the day. Triumph number three, I'm bringing in more income from my "day job"... being a Speech-Language Pathologist.
Now for the bellyflops: One, I have spent more days home in bed then I want count. Two, the house is not immaculate- far far from it!!! Three, My riding has taken a backseat to everything else. Finally, four is that I am not able to do all the other things that I hoped and planned to do last year like writing more blogs, writing more reviews on products, and creating "how to" videos.
Sooooooo, what to do about this? Well, I think one of the best solutions is to first and foremost get the physical health under control... time being bedridden is NOT motivating, and has made me more depressed about where I've been personally in my riding career. Another thought is to use time in bed to write on the blog (like I am doing right now).
Finally, creating a schedule and STICKING with it is probably the best and most successful method. I've noticed that I have been "winging it" more often than not with my home schedule, and not sticking with days that I say I will do various things.
Balance is an art form, and I think that your balance in your home life , and life away from the farm can either be a detriment to a person's riding (who wants to be suffering from guilt while trying to concentrate on shoulders in??) or beneficial... if you are balanced at home, you come to the barn with a sense of ease and well-being as well as n home vs barn conflicts interfering with your riding.
Once I figure out perfect balance, I will write the book and make millions to support my riding habits... until then I will share my experiences on my blog and keep working at life and riding!
See you in the ring!
Crystal
