Let’s Catch Up – 5 Things

Hello Readers! I have a rare and much needed day off today and I figured since my blogging has been slacking lately I would write a catch up post on what I’m doing and thinking.

1. Laser Focused/Need to Find Balance

Anyone have advice on how to balance life with school/work? When it comes to school where I’m achieving a grade and need to pass one class to move on to the other I get so laser focused that everything falls away. It’s the curse of being a Type A perfectionist.

The last two weeks of Summer Session I had several large assignments that required hours of work on each and I stopped talking to my friends and family, stopped planning my meals, and stopped working out (much to my detriment at last weekend’s half marathon).

I NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BALANCE THESE THINGS!  My final and longest stint of student teaching is next fall. From September- December I’ll be teaching middle school PE and I want to jump into all the extra curricular’s possible. But I worry that I’ll get too focused again and let everything else fall to the way side.

Readers- How do you get out of the work focused mindset? If I have work to do it’s all I can think about ,so relaxing is out of the question. I can’t spend four months being as laser focused as I have been in my 6 week student teaching stints. Balance is very much needed.

2. Summer Camp

Next Monday I’m heading to camp or a week! yes, camp! One of my summer classes is Outdoor Education, a topic I am (obviously) super passionate about. I’ll be going to camp or a week working on several certifications including; hunter education, fishing education, archery in school, boating license,  bowhunting education, and outdoor survival skills certification.

And not only that, but out of a class of 20 students, 15 are female so I’m going to girls camp! Woot! Woot!  We stay in cabins and everything. Is that a great way to kick off summer or what?

3. My Blog is not a Business

The direction of my blog is something on my mind lately.  I keep reading and hearing all about ways to make a blog a business and how I should be monetizing my blog. I have been fortunate with sponsored posts and the little bit of money they bring in have been a much needed addition to my sad little student budget.

It sounds like a great idea! Make a bunch of money off a hobby I enjoy and have been doing or more than seven years now, but I don’t have the mental space to take that on.  As a full time student money is always tight and it would be great to bring in more money, but I don’t have the time or the energy. It would require posting almost daily, using strategic SEO, posting on social media every day, and figuring out the best way to utilize affiliate marketing. It sounds exhausting.

4. Lifestyle Envy

Along the lines of turning my blog into a business, I have been wistfully following some amazing full time bloggers who do really great stuff. These ladies go to events and travel, produce beautiful photos, and somehow always have expensive clothes. I don’t think I could get anyone to take fashion advice from me as my clothes are from Value Village! Ha ha!

Lately though, I find myself comparing my life to theirs. These women are killing it, whether it be in the fitness industry or mommy/home bloggers and I feel so all over the place compared to them. I keep telling myself to “stay in my own lane” as Lauryn from the Skinny Confidential would say and focus on where my life is headed right now.

Anyone else have this problem with bloggers? I’m especially envious of the ones who have pools!

5. Changing My Fitness Focus

My half marathon is over and four days later, I am finally able to think about getting back into training.

I’m shifting my running focus from distance to speed and am looking at 5k’s and running programs that can help me improve my mile time.

It’s also time to get back into the strength training game. I started to at the beginning of the summer, but stopped when it was making me too sore for my long runs. Distance training has been great for taking off extra weight on my legs, but I’m ready to build some muscle.

In July, my schedule will shift for another session of classes and I’m trying to plan out my schedule so I can get in 3 runs a week and lift 3 times a week.

That’s what’s been going on with me, what’s going on with you? Any BIG summer plans?