Have you ever noticed that there are times when everything in life seems to be clicking and other times where everything just seems off kilter? Summer is ending (although I’m still hoping for a sunny September!) and the kids are back in school so now seems like the perfect time to get everything back in sync. I’ve come to realize there are certain activities that I have to do to be in balance. As they say, if Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!

I won’t say that I nail this every day by any means, but just learning what my daily must-dos are has been insightful. If I can squeeze most of these in most days, I’m on the right track.

Family Time – When my kiddos were little, this category dominated and wasn’t even something I had to try for, but these days, it’s important to make it a priority. For my family, that means dinner together nearly every night. I know it’s not ideal to eat after 7 or 8 o’clock, but that’s when it works for us. Usually by that time, sports are done, everyone is home and someone has managed to cook something. It’s important that we all check in with each other and this is the time that works for us. Individual time with my husband is a priority too, but I’ll be honest and say that’s even harder now that we’re well past 7:30 bedtimes for kids! Although he sometimes works weekends, he does have a day off during the week and that helps.

Exercise – My physical and mental health are deeply entwined and I know I feel better when I’m working out regularly. There was a time when that meant intense CrossFit workouts. Over the last year, my exercise has been more about yoga, walking, and physical therapy which is what I needed to heal from a whiplash injury. I’ve recently discovered Orange Theory Fitness and that’s working for me. As long as I’m motivated to get there, the instructors can motivate me through an hour of running, lifting, rowing, lunging, and crunching.

Get Outside – Ideally, this is connected to the one above, but I do live in the Pacific Northwest so there are definitely rainy winter days where this doesn’t happen. In general, though, I find my mood is better when I spend time outside doing something – walking the dogs, reading in the sunshine, gardening, cheering my kid on the soccer field – with fresh air and vitamin D. Here’s a pic of my puppy Gizmo trying to find her own balance on a slippery log at the beach!

Write – For me right now this is where my work part of the day fits in, although I realize it’s also a luxury that I’m able to make my own schedule. Although many parts of writing are hard for me, the one piece that comes easy is generating ideas. The problem is that I go crazy if I just leave the ideas to roll around in my head. That’s actually a big part of the inspiration for this blog. I have bigger bursts when I’m in the midst of a novel, but even when I’m not, I just need to get the ideas on a screen or on paper.

Read – Writing my own stories is important, but I love to lose myself in other stories as well. As a mom of busy kids, I find myself in the car a lot so there are times when I actually have two books going – audio in the car and hardcopy everywhere else. A friend recently mentioned that she goes back and forth between Audible and Kindle on the same book, but for now I’m liking having two stories. I’m listening to Ivan Doig’s Last Bus To Wisdom in the car and have Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson on my nightstand.

Connect – This can vary from a phone call to a walk with a friend to a series of funny texts, but the connection to others is important. Writing is a solitary activity and I am an extrovert. I need to get out! I need people to talk to!

What about you? What’s on your daily list of must-dos? Is there something that’s lacking right now that should be prioritized?