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Balancing Today

Learning To Balance It All

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in Everyday Life

Halfway Through 2019

Hello!! Here we are, halfway through 2019! Can you believe it? I started off 2019 with 6 overarching goals.

1. Focusing on my family
2. Prioritizing my health and wellness
3. Losing weight and building muscle
4. Defining my professional path and purpose
5. Letting Go
6. Traveling (near and far)

Looking back over the past 6 months, I’m really happy with all I’ve done to work towards my goals for this year. I’ve focused most of my time away from work on my husband and kids, have remained invested in my health and wellness, and have traveled a bunch with my family.

Ashley
One of my most needed, but unexpected actions I took, was stepping away from some of the things on my plate. Things beyond my wellness, family, and career in higher education. I realized I needed some time to really process what I had been investing in and how I was spending my days and minutes.  I didn’t know it when 2019 started, but my goal of “letting go” was a lot bigger than I had originally planned.

In early May I injured my back during a workout and unexpectedly had to take almost 2 months off from ALL workouts. I hated so much about being injured, but I needed that break more than I realized, mentally and physically. Thankfully my back is good, though I have to be careful as I ease back into workout over the next few weeks. The time away from working out not only gave me some much needed rest, but it helped me to reexamine my workouts and what I want to be doing as I move into the second half of 2019.

Daily Snapshot
What I realized during the break is that I miss weight lifting. I miss being in a gym and doing what I do best, lifting. I am still going to workout at OrangeTheory twice a week, but am going to leave those workouts for weekends most weeks. My plan is then to lift at the gym Monday, Wednesday, Friday before work. I’m still doing Peloton and Yoga sprinkled in, but I am going to focus on weight lifting over the next few months.

The time away also gave me more time to focus on my husband and kids. I traveled to San Antonio with my daughter, went on a few girls trips with my sister, and went to the beach with my whole family, which were all amazing trips. I’ve also spent more time focusing on the little things with my kids.

Beach
As I think about the next 6 months my heart leaps! I love the second half of the year, so much, and it’s exciting to think of all that’s to come!

-Neal and I celebrate our 7th anniversary (10 years together)
-My son turns 2, my daughter turns 5, I turn 35 (EEK!), and Neal turns 40 (EEEEK!)
-Lots of concerts
-Football season! (HELLO FALL!)
-4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, the holiday season, and Christmas

I can’t wait! I’m also looking forward to writing more. I’ve missed writing. It’s an outlet for me, one I’ve really enjoyed over the past NINE years (can you believe it!?!). The time away was good, and needed, but I’m looking forward to blogging again.

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I'm Ashley, a full-time working mom who lives in the Washington, DC area. Balancing Today is all about learning to balance family, work, wellness, and most of all, life's simple joys! Read More!

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