UP week 13

Quite the unlucky number 13, this past Friday happened to be Friday the 13th, and I've definitely been off my game this past week. I've been letting stress rob me of my sanity. I felt like I was chasing something while at the same time, falling behind on everything else. I know I'm being too vague so I might as well explain. Work has been getting to me. It's the beginning of the year and its tax season. It's also a new budget year for our clients so as happy as I am that we are starting the year with a few sales; I am also having a hard time getting the documents prepared for credit terms with our suppliers and the paperwork needed for the accountant. On the personal side of things, I am feeling the pressure of 2023 because this is the year we face our immigration status with the renewal application to continue to live and work in the US. My sleep has been affected, ever since the holidays I have been going to bed later and later, with always an excuse of something that HAS to be done. I thought a new book would help, since I enjoy reading so much, but I've barely made it past the prologue (its the new Matthew Perry book and the prologue is written by Lisa Kudrow and not even THAT got me through to Chapter 1!). When I let things pile up like this mentally (and literally because I am sitting beside a mountain of clothes that I need to fold), the only thing that helps is getting organized. Putting all of my tasks in order of priority and tackling the list, one item at a time. I created a to-do list for work and one for home because trying to remember everything all at once is exhausting (hence the lack of sleep). If I'm being completely honest, this blog post was just one more thing on the to-do list and I don't particularly like that feeling. I prefer to write for the sake of enjoyment and release, not out of duty. I did weigh myself and I wasn't happy about it; 207.8lbs. I do it to myself, I have a few good days and then I have a few bad days. I have not added exercise to my to-do list which could help with stress and with quality of sleep. I know these things in theory but I have my own struggle with putting it into practice. I'm not going to include a photo this time. I truly hate selfies and seeing the number on the scale which is worse than last week; means my frown cannot be turned upside down and I don't feel like documenting that. As much as I complain and sound down in the dumps, I assure you that I am of sound mind. I recognize these moods and I know how to pull myself out of the downward spirals. I also know I am not alone, this time of year is difficult for a lot of people. My advice, to anyone who wants to receive it, is to welcome the challenges as you face them. Be present and focus to get the job done. Sometimes planning ahead means planning for tomorrow and that is more than okay; that is life.

Thanks to my mentor / former boss / mother figure (she wears a lot of hats lol), I have this bobble head that has a great likeness to me. And thanks to the friends / family that I used to work with at my previous job, I have this card with handwritten notes of love and support.

Even though the gift was given as a farewell for my move out of the country in 2018, I fondly reread them and still find them applicable today 🥰