I've been back at work for five weeks now and 2026 has proven to be every bit as busy as 2025 was. It's been good though, productive and enjoyable, I've no complaints, but as I get older...my birthday is coming up in the not too distant future, I find it's often difficult to keep up.
My flight schedule began a few weeks ago, I've taken four flights so far and there's a lot more to come, sometimes multiple flights in a week, all the way through to almost the middle of December. Trust me, I'll be sick of it well before then. Ok, maybe I'll not be sick of it - I like my job and being really good at it helps in that regard - but I'll certainly be drained and well in need of a break - some time off.
We all get busy and it's easy to fall into bad routines and habits when we do.
Sometimes we're physically tired, sometimes mentally or emotionally and it's at those times I think it's important we remember why we do what we do, the benefits, so that we can focus on ways to deal with the stresses and issues that arise and do the things that keep us moving in the right direction.
How do you cope with your busy schedule? How do you fit in exercise, relaxation, emotional and mental care, your kids or family and other commitments? Do you plan it or just hope that all works out?
Feel free to comment if you'd like to.
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
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Image(s) in this post are my own
It's difficult being away from those we love consistently however I'm completely certain you make it work and your relationship doesn't suffer.
Becca 🌷
It is for sure. I always bring a gift home whether small or large; usually it's just a small token to sort of announce that I'm home. She likes it. 😉
Would you prefer a high speed train? :p
I loathe airports. How is your luggage taking so many trips?
Yeah, been on plenty of them and like the concept although I'd say it's never going to happen widely enough and in my working lifetime for me to benefit here. They're good though.
Maybe a TARDIS?
I have very good luggage, a Pelican hardcase (like what they pack photography equipment in) for checked and a decent laptop bag for carry on. I've been through a few laptop bags over the years though.
I have a Pelican for my photo gear. Damn thing is indestructible. Pelican Air 5110 I think.
Yep, they're legit. I use them for my handguns and rifles too, flying with them is stressful if not packed right and the Pelican cases are, as you say, virtually indestructible. I figured you'd know about them and probably use them for your gear.
Buy it once, and buy it for life!
Yep, mine will outlive me.
Airports are okay, it's the runways that freak me out. Going from low and slow to fast and high.
That is if everything goes to plan :)
That flight schedule sounds horrible x_x
only because I hate flying
Least it sounds like they look after you pretty well when they're sending you gallivanting all over the joint and it's only a minor discontent in an otherwise great job right :D
I don't fit in exercise (unless you count my reasonably physical job which I don't really but probably could), relaxation, emotional or mental care x_x and if you ask my kids they'll probably tell you I never made any time for them either XD
Everything is planned and I keep adjusting things when I have better ideas of when things are and how they work and how long they take and all that but I'm the problem (I do try to plan things for how I function when average but I've been bad more than average lately).
It's a bit hectic but usually smooth so no too much stress...other than going through security, I hate that part.
It's funny, I feel you're quite a planned person on many ways but sometimes you lead me to believe you're random as fuck. Lol. You probably do that to keep me guessing though. 🤔
I think this image from this website sums me up pretty accurately XD
Makes sense.
Multiple flies in a week must be extremely tiring... Usually I schedule depending on priority, what has more priority and must absolutely be done comes first regardless of being tired or not, and so on, it all depends on the urgency... Anyways first family schedule and then the rest, for the weekends I plan before everything to relax or have fun, if you have fun even if you are phisically tired it's good cause mind can relax
The number of flights I will take is quite high...don't mind the flying, hate the process of going through airport security though. I also don't like being away from home all the time, a little is ok, but too much is not good for me and my girlfriend - we get along very well and being away never feels right. Alas, my job is my job and for now I have to do it.
I like how you plan things and I do the same, even if that plan is to do nothing.
Oh yeah, you gotta be at the airport at least 2 hours before, it kinda feels a waste of time then... Books are good friends there
Yeah sometimes I also plan to do nothing, very rarely, and that turns out to mean being requested to play togheter with the kid😂
There's also complexity at the scanners as I have to be patted down not go through the x-ray machines. Annoying.
watch out for unwanted touches!
Oh yeah, sometimes there's a hot girl about five foot six inches tall, shapely figure, big boobs and a pretty face the doing the checks...I don't mind when that happens. Lol.
that's a good thing you do this travel alone then and not with your company 😄 hm i got an urgent need to be manually checked 🤔
I think that without planning everything would be chaos. It's true that sometimes there are unforeseen events and you have to adjust your plan, but you need to have a plan in order to carry out your tasks and duties, as well as to devote time to yourself and do things you enjoy or just rest. For example, I have planned a family outing for later, but to do that I had to rearrange my personal tasks. Without a plan... it's complicated.
People often set goals but no plan to achieve them which never helps achieve the goal. You seem like someone who is comfortable with laying plans.
Without plans, I couldn't do anything. Even though I sometimes have to rework them, it's better that way, and I like it.
I don't have a regular job anymore, but when I did work, I was a work-aholic. Regretfully. Yeah, that led to a lot of issues.
Exercise was always planned in as part of the work day though. First thing in the morning. Sadly recreation and fmaily took the backseat, epecially in the first years of my military service. As I grew older, and got promoted to staff jobs and spent more time at home, I had more time to spend with family and did. After service it was kind if the same, more time with family.
Now though I spend as much time with them as possible. It is a little late in the game, but they still appreciate it. My boys talk to me everyday even though they don't live with us. The wife keeps me around still. So I guess overall I didn't do so bad balancing things.
I'm not surprised. It's difficult to find balance when one is a focused and disciplined person and quite easy to become absorbed by work leading to behaviours outside of work that we regret later. I've been the same to some degree as I can be rather intense, focused, disciplined and relentless when I'm passionate about something. Of course, that same passion can be channelled into one's personal life too.
You mentioned your good lady, hopefully all is well there, I know there was some issues going back a few weeks.
Yes, that is were I could have been better was channeling that focus at the right times. But alas, no sense in looking behind us. We only have the present and the future we can impact.
The good lady is doing much better. She had a couple surgeries. She is reccovering well. Thank you for asking.
Exercise happens in the morning mostly first thing otherwise I would probably just say forget it by the time I get home from work. In the summer that's a little different as I have the lawn to mow and disc golf to play with my friend. As for relaxation, we just try to fit that in during our summer camping trips for the most part. There are a lot of times that my wife and I just look at each other and wonder when things slow down. I can't imagine if we had kids on top of it all!
Having no kids simplifies things somewhat. I've done a lot though not having them that my friends with kids cannot but, of courses they've had other experiences I have not also due to having kids. I'll list some.
You get the idea. Lol.
Oh, I definitely understand that! :)
Nothing to miss out on there.
Seriously though, we wanted kids, just didn't happen and we're not the IVF types so let nature take its course.
I understand. We hadn't really been planning on it given that we work with kids everyday, but then the cancer kind of sealed the deal. We love spoiling our nieces and nephews as I know you guys do as well!
Loving the work helps, but protecting your energy is what keeps that love alive.
Wishing you a welltimed break and a birthday that actually feels like a pause, not just another date on the calendar.
Yeah, I tend to work pretty hard but I relax and play pretty hard to balance the scales.
The part that stood out to me most was protecting energy, not just time. Many of us try to fit everything in, but we rarely think about how mentally drained we are while doing it. Travel especially can look exciting from the outside, but constant flights and shifting schedules can quietly wear a person down
Yep, having time without the energy to use it seems wasteful of time to me.
As for my busy schedule, I just priotize. That is the way I try to create a balance. I know in most cases I cannot attempt to all my schedule.
Happy birthday to you in advance.
Cheers
All you do is priotitise? What happens when that's not possible and you have to act on the fly?