I recently asked you, my readers, what Blog post topics most resonate with you. You asked me to take you through a normal day – my wins, my struggles, and how I navigate through. I will start my saying that there is no such thing as a normal day, especially in my life! Though I may not be able to offer end-all advice, what I can do is give you a glimpse into my days and how I steer through them.
Morning Ritual
I always start my day with my lemon water tonic in the AM. It helps me to kickstart what is ahead. I do believe in ritual. I feel that it is something simple that can ground us and allow us to feel safe. Plus, I’m a huge proponent of the tonic for health benefits. In addition to this I have a new ritual – meditation. Although, I am not actually the best meditator. I just began doing Week of Zen first thing in the AM, which was started by my friend Lorna. It is incredibly easy and accessible and sets you up for success in your day!
Time Management (a.k.a. Time Magicianry)
I know that my “me time” is super important. Sometimes this means taking the dog for a walk, sometimes it’s getting a massage or a manicure, or just sitting and watching a show. The value I find in giving myself some time alone is invaluable. Recently I really needed a vacation and took my kids abroad for 18 days for a time to completely shut off. I left an Out of Office Reply that gave everyone options of whom to connect with if they needed something and made it clear to reconnect with me only when I return. It saved me so much stress of feeling like I had to work on the trip or feeling overwhelmed by the pending responses when I got home.
Being a mother of three kids, a brand owner, a studio owner, [a dog owner] and an instructor, among other things – I am confronted with how to get it all done daily. What I find helps with this is being able to prioritize and find balance. This is not an accurate science because things are always shifting, but it has helped me tremendously to rely more on my community. I’ve found the community that helps me! Sister-wives. Find the ones in your life that you know will give you the support you need, when you need it. And be there for them when they need it equally. I have a friend that helps walk the dog – and sometimes I walk hers. I have people in my life (some hired and some not) that I can ask to do something for me that I don’t have time for at that moment — pick my kid up from school, pick up my laundry, etc. This little support keeps me from feeling overwhelmed by it all. Oh – and sometimes I just accept that I don’t have the time and that’s okay.
Sensible Shortcuts
I also find tools to make my day easier – e.g. Good Eggs and Instacart (as needed). So much quicker than going to the store for the few items you need that day.
Down to Business
When it comes to the business, every day includes meetings, strategy and planning around what will continue to make the Dailey Method community the best out there! (Some call it bias, I call it a strong group of incredible people with well-being in mind.) This sometimes requires travel, across the U.S. or internationally. Recently I had the chance to travel to TDM Birmingham for Dare to Bare to teach and also appear on the news. Dare to Bare is a cause that I am passionate about because I want all women to embrace who they are right now – we’re all amazing and beautiful and strong and I want to celebrate that with women.
Maintaining Health
As a fitness professional and a brand there is a lot of focus on “what is Jill doing?” “What is she eating”? I exercise regularly – making attending (not just teaching) Dailey cycle and Barre classes a priority and schedule them on my calendar so they take precedence. But sometimes I want to stay in bed on a Saturday morning and I give myself that freedom too. I do my best to eat whole foods, very little sugar, lots of greens. I cook and shop locally and work to include as much nutrition into mine and my kids meals. But I will have an ice cream cone (coffee is my favorite).
Family Near and Far
One of the challenges I face is finding family time. That doesn’t just include family I live with, but family across the globe. I make a concerted effort to see them and just recently returned from a trip to Europe. Family is so important in helping to keep us connected to who we really are. And the support system – WOW! Nobody will really love us unconditionally like we have the capacity to get from our family. But we have to make the time to soak it in, and give it back. (Thank you my family for being who you are and for what you do for me!)
Not Superhuman, Just Super at being Human
At the end of the day, I share the same story as every woman out there who cares deeply about her family, her career and her health and her sanity. I take each day one step at time, learning to acknowledge that I’m human, that I will make mistakes and also will have personal wins, though always trying to learn from both and not let either success or failure take me off of my path.
Here’s to your wins, your struggles and to your resilience in between.
-Jill