As I was having some morning coffee on Thursday before heading to a meeting, I had the thought, “This has been the longest short week.” The thing is, I was home on Monday with a sick kid, we lived the MN dream of a snow day on Tuesday, I worked on Wednesday, then Thursday morning I already felt like it had been a long week. This is after one day of work. ONE DAY! Granted, I had already worked through some dramatic kid breakdowns over things that seem pretty inconsequential, but that shouldn’t sap my energy or drain my spirit too much.

Here’s the deal, though…even when I don’t physically go to work, it is still with me. There are pieces of work that I do from afar because they just need to be done. Then, there’s all the work I needed to do, but didn’t get to because I wasn’t actually there, so it builds up. And the real kicker: even though nothing brings more joy to our little family than the gift of a snow day, the disruption of routine also brings challenges that we don’t even notice.

I have the power to impact how smoothly my days and weeks run. What I realize is that the week feels long not only because of the things that happen at work and in life in general, but also because of the chaos I allow. By maintaining routine (even with sick kids and snow days) and simplifying our family’s lives, I can make the week much less burdensome and tiresome.

My takeaways from realizing my tired and dragging self after one day of real work this week:

1. Cut what’s not needed–eliminate clutter, unnecessary events, and time/resources spent on things that don’t add joy and value to our lives.
2. Keep the routines that matter–real meals, a good amount of sleep, daily responsibilities for myself and my family.
3. Practice gratitude, encouragement, and service–take time to realize how great life is, encourage those around us, and find opportunities to serve others.

Living with intentionality and purpose even when life throws curveballs–both fun (snow day) and not so fun (sickness)–brings a sense of satisfaction and contentment overall. Here’s to rolling with the punches by taking simple steps to be prepared for whatever life brings.