I will be the first to admit, life has been a little hectic lately with school starting back up and Fall schedules kicking back in but I am finally sitting down and writing again!

With the busyness of this time, it is so easy to get lost in the day to day schedules and, in turn, start losing little bits of ourselves along the way. Whether you are a working mom or stay at home mom, I doubt you take much time out of your day for yourself unless it’s just a few minutes of peace wherever you can get it. With change and the constant hustle and bustle, we can sometimes feel off or not like ourselves. Lately, I have found myself having these moments on and off. As I sat and thought about it, I came up with this challenge.

Here is how it works. In order to avoid being stuck in a rut or losing ourselves in our careers, kids or husbands, it’s so important to stop and show ourselves a little self-love. When you find yourself questioning your purpose or your character, sit down and remind yourself of the attributes that make you who you are.

List 5 things you are either good at or truly enjoy in life. Writing these down will remind you why you are passionate about the things you do but I would also encourage you to take it a step further. For every positive attribute, list something that you want to work on or improve. I’m a firm believer that we should always be growing and challenging ourselves. While we take the time to remind ourselves what we value most, let’s also be mindful of how we can grow and spread our wings even more. So, in order to inspire you to take this challenge, I am going to start.

I. I thrive on helping others and making them happy. I guess another way to look at this would be a people pleaser but it’s so much more than that. I love surprising people with gifts that make them happy. I love helping my clients be successful. I love when I can help someone out during a tough time. Helping others is truly a passion of mine.

Challenge: The “people pleaser” part of this can be my downfall. I have a hard time saying “No” to anything or anyone, and sometimes that can be a detriment to me or my family time. I know I need to work on cultivating this desire to help others while not sacrificing too much of myself or being taken advantage of.

II. I love that I get to balance having a career and a family. While my kids are the greatest accomplishment in life I will ever have, I’m so blessed to have a career that I enjoy and allows me the flexibility to truly have both.

Challenge: Balance. Balance. Balance. I think this is every mom’s challenge. As a working mom, I constantly find myself pulled between spending too much time at work vs. being with my family. As the years get shorter that I have left with my kids, I am really trying to work on this one and ensure that I have no regrets later in life about missing out on time with them for work.

III. One of my favorite things in life is spending time with family and friends and really helping to organize gatherings and parties where we all get a chance to connect. Spending time with family really does refuel my soul and plays such a critical role in my overall happiness.

Challenge: In a big family, gatherings are always hectic and chaotic. I absolutely love that part of it but, especially when hosting, it can be easy to look back at the end of the night and feel like you didn’t really sit down and have those meaningful conversations because you were too busy cleaning, prepping and getting food out. I need to remember to stop and enjoy these moments along with each and every conversation I have the opportunity to have.

IV. I love being in control and keeping life organized. Whether this is managing the family calendar, scheduling meetings and overseeing projects at work or planning events with friends and family, having a plan has always played a key role in my life.

Challenge: Sometimes you need help and you need to ask for it. Oftentimes, I find myself thinking it’s easier to just take it on myself since I know I can verify it is all getting done the way I want. The challenge with this is it’s just not humanly possible to be a control freak and be successful or truly happy. If I don’t ask for help or delegate, I find myself holding it all in and then suddenly life just gets completely overwhelming.

V. Communication. I have always considered myself a decent communicator, however, the outlet I have always been most comfortable with is writing. When I was younger I kept diaries and most recently, I started this blog as an additional creative outlet for my writing. Back in the day, I was always a big fan of writing letters and expressing myself that way.

Challenge: Having the open and honest conversations face to face that allow for complete vulnerability. Over the years, this is something I have really tried to work on. I have always said that I want my kids to feel like they can come and talk to me about anything. The only way that will happen is if I am open and receptive to their feelings while being honest that I’m not perfect either. Real conversations are hard but they bring so much more to life and our relationships.

I know this is a long one today but I hope each of you will take the time to do this challenge yourself. It is not only therapeutic but such a great reminder of who we are and how to keep loving and challenging ourselves no matter what season of life we are in.