They're Not a Reward for Later

A few years ago I was exhausted. 

Not the normal kind of tired - the kind deep down inside that you're not sure you'll recover from. 

The kind where you can't remember the last time you did something just because you wanted to.

I wasn't eating well. I was carrying an extra 12 pounds. I was working all the time and was always stressed out. 

I didn't have hobbies. I had the memory of hobbies and I had obligations keeping me from pursuing them. 

And I told myself that it was fine. That hobbies were for people with more time. That I'd get to them later, when things calmed down. 

But then I noticed that things didn't calm down. 

So, despite my schedule, I changed my thinking. 

I started gardening. Not because I had time, but because I made time. I started adding to my flock of chickens, choosing new beautiful breeds and spent time with them every single day. I started reading again. I started growing flowers just because they're beautiful. I learned to let myself enjoy watering them instead of thinking of it as a chore. 

And something shifted. 

I got better at work. Not worse. Better. 

Here's what I finally understood: we need both. 

We need ways to be productive - to earn money, build something, take care of business. And we need ways to nurture ourselves - to fill ourselves up with things we care about. 

A lot of us - especially those of us with ADHD brains - have intense focus. We can pour ourselves into work until there's nothing left. Or we can avoid work entirely and stay busy with things that feel productive but aren't. 

All work and no play. Or all play and no work. Neither one provides balance. 

The women who build successful businesses AND enjoy their lives? They get serious about both. 

They protect their work time. And they protect their play time. 

They don't see hobbies as something they'll get to when they've earned it. They see hobbies as part of what makes them good at what they do. 

This morning I walked through my garden before I sat down to write this. I spent time with the kittens. I gave the chickens some treats. I daydreamed about the new garden I'm planning to attract butterflies and bees. I thought about the new coop arriving on Wednesday morning for the baby chicks living in the kitchen. 

None of that is work. All of it makes me better at my work. 

You can have the life you want. But you have to build all of it - not just the business. 

Get serious about your hobbies. They're not a reward for later. They're fuel.