How Does She Do It?

"How do I do it?" I get this question almost every single day. Sometimes twice. Does it make me feel good to know people couldn’t possibly fathom how I take care of two toddlers, work a full-time job, rock a side hustle, blog, work on a political campaign, mentor, and sometimes shower? Yes, yes it does. Because it’s hard to make this look seamless. Believe me, it’s far from seamless. It’s messy and tearful and exhausting sometimes. 

Do I do it because I like to be busy? No. I do it because I’ve surrounded myself with people and projects that bring me joy. That means sometimes I bring my kids to bars, and sometimes I stay up until 2am writing. When it’s too much, I hit the brakes. When I’m bored, I find something else. I am exhausting to some people, and that’s OK too. Finding passions that fulfill a vision is exhilarating to me. Next time you see me a little manic, but with a smile on my face, know that I’m in my element and doing just fine, thank you. 

SO here’s the answer to the question- How does she do it?

1. I am efficient AF. I work well under the gun, so the busier, the better.
2. I’m OK without showering. And by OK, it’s more like mildly disgusted by my garbage human status, but also I just DGAF.
3. I keep snacks by my nightstand, so I can sleep an extra 10 minutes. #Gingerbaby comes in and asks for a bar and a packet WITHOUT FAIL every single morning at 6am. We just keep the snacks in our drawers now, so we don’t have to get out of bed. Learn how to open things in your sleep and get comfortable with crumbs in your sheets.
4. I take my first meeting by 8am, so I can squeeze in a little side hustle before work. 
5. I work from 8:30-12pm on weeknights, so I can spend uninterrupted time with my kids for dinner, bath time and bedtime.
6. I bring my kids everywhere. Campaign meetings, bars, coffee shops, you name it. They know how to act around adults (for the most part), and they make meetings fun (and shorter).
7. I’m OK with being late. And by OK, I mean very guilty and sad. I’ve resigned myself to being 15-minutes late everywhere, and I’m working on the cutting myself some slack part.
8. I don’t fold my laundry. It comes out of the dryer and lands on the floor until I pick it up, shake it out, and put it on my body. There are worse things in the world than unfolded laundry.
9. I have a kickass partner who is my equal in all things. We have our ups and downs, but we’re good communicators and care about each other. We split the chores, kid things, and income because our lives are better as a pair. We're both entrepreneurs, so we both get understand the crazy.
10. I really like trying new things and meeting new people, so while my calendar may look like I’ve got a lot going on, sometimes it’s just connecting with folks. I learn something from every single person I meet, and sometimes those relationships turn into partnerships, friendships, or just ships that sail away and never talk again. 

So that’s how I do it. It's no big secret, just a little bit of hustle and a lot of deodorant.