BALANCING ACT

  One of the questions I get asked most frequently is: how do I balance it all? I am a wife, a mother to a 4 yr old little boy, a NPC bikini competitor, PR consultant, fitness model, and a personal trainer. That’s a mouthful huh? With all that on my plate, there are a few key things that help me manage everything that needs to get done.   1.     Prioritize: It is important that you know what is a necessity and what is a want. Things that you NEED to get done should be first on your to-do list. 2.     Plan Ahead: This is so crucial for me. I am a big planner and a huge fan of To-Do lists. There is an awesome app for the iPad called iNow that I use to help plan my day. Every night before I go to bed, I plan out everything I need to get done the next day. I even schedule when I need to eat. My day starts at 4:15 and ends around 10, so it’s very important I have a plan of action for the day. Making a to-do list not only helps keep you organized but it also gives you a sense of accomplishment when you are able to cross off the things you have completed for the day. Always remember you may not get everything done you planned or set out to do, because life doesn’t always go exactly as planned but having a to do list will give you much better odds at getting the necessities done! 3.     Learn To Say No: One of the easiest ways to not accomplish what you need to get done, is always taking on more than you can handle. There are times when you have to learn to say no. People will continue to ask more and more of you as long as you continue to say yes. Even though it can be difficult at times, telling someone you just cant rt now is not only taking charge of your life but it also allows them to respect your time.    4.     Reward Yourself: Never forget to make some time to reward yourself for all the hard work your putting in. (This doesn’t mean eating something unhealthy ). We often get so caught up with getting everything done we don’t make time for things we enjoy. For some people, this may be reading a book, magazine, going to a movie, etc… My reward is spending fun time with my family. I make a point to always schedule in that time. If we forget to reward ourselves, we wont enjoy the journey!   ~So prioritize, plan ahead, say no sometimes, and don’t forget to enjoy the ride!     Sheri Chanroo Gaskins www.theextrarep.com   "To get to the top you have to be willing to do the extra rep. The same goes in life, marriage, or your career. You have to be willing to go beyond your comfort and into an effective zone! That's the extra rep!"