The last two weeks of “workcation” in Cape Ann was needed in order to become a better me. Here my best tips for becoming better me.

1. Listen to important people in your life, like your kids. They offer much more valuable life lessons than some of the adults in our lives. After all – they are a reflection of you.

2. Take time off to smell the flowers and walk the beaches. When you are facing a problem, or can’t focus, and have too much on your plate, walking away from the work for a while will actually increase your productivity and creativity. Try it now – go out for a walk, and when you get back, write down all of those new ideas you got while on a walk.

I learned a lot from my children, and mainly to limit my working hours. At the same time, while I walked the beaches, watched my kids to boogie board the waves, and enjoyed breathing the salty sea air, I became more focused and clear on my goals with family, work and my business.

3. Learn to multitask, and learn when it is not multitasking, but distracting from the important things you do.

4. Share your passion with the people you care. You will realize that their support is more important than anything, and you will need it to success.

Our family was split in two cars when driving back home, and while driving, my mind was racing with new ideas for my editorial calendar. My daughter was sitting on the back seat, and I asked her to write down my ideas – do you think it was child labor, multi-tasking, or what I think the ultimate bonding and getting my 10 year old immersed in the family business already now? Either way, we both had fun and it was productive.

5. Take yourself seriously – and others will too. I love how my friend Courtney of The Digital Mommy says “dress for the job you want, not for the job you have”. If you want to be treated like a big girl, put your big girl panties on – if you want to be treated like a professional, act like one.

6. Say “I can do it” and you can.

Yes, I am finally creating an editorial calendar, and stop this “I’m-sorry-I’m-here-just-doing-my-thing” and get my act together. I finally know what I want with Skimbaco, and where I want to go with it. I have some Big News coming up next month, and after that – only sky is a limit. I have been reflecting back on my original business ideas, with the wish to “spread sunshine”, and now I feel I have been watching on the side for long enough – I am ready to move forward and get my head in the game.

Hectic morning.

Making kids school lunches, filling water bottles.
Finding socks and hats. Helping with the zipper that doesn’t want to work.
Turning off lights before running out of the door to take kids to school.

When I drive off our driveway I am already thinking my long to-do list for today, and my mind is wandering here in my blog, and I’m thinking how I live life to the fullest, and how I am going to share it with you today. I know being a work at home mom, and being able to take kids to school every morning is a luxury to me that I wouldn’t give up for anything. But on mornings like this, feels like this is everything but living life to the fullest. I see a squirrel running on the road getting ready to be squashed under my car tire, and think even if I’m not living life to the fullest right at this moment, at least I can let that squirrel live.

I turn my wheel and the little animal is saved, but at the same time I hit the curb and hear a pop.

Dammit, that was one expensive pet squirrel that I never see again, and I guess I will be working from home with three kids today, because there is no way I’m going to start changing a car tire on the side of the road with three kids and a dog.

I don’t think my husband’s morning was any better, especially when I deliver him the news. He shouts something not at all like him “you kill the squirrel, not the tire” – he never gets mad, and is an animal lover, so I think it’s better to just hang up on him. I understand. I was stupid. Both, hitting the curb and hanging up on him. But like I am not already blaming myself!

I come home with kids, tell them they can play at home today.

I think there is supposed to be a lesson learned by this story.
Maybe it is that sometimes doing the right thing is the wrong thing to do.
Maybe it is that doing the right thing is never the wrong thing to do.
Maybe it is just understanding that life always isn’t champagne and caviar, and understanding that even if it isn’t, there is beauty even on the mornings when your tire breaks, and you are forced to slow down.