#WeekendCoffeeShare – November 5, 2016

If you and I were having coffee right now … I would admit that 2016 has been a year largely spent fighting disorganization, writer’s block and various other obstacles strewn in front of my blogging and writing desk.

If you and I were having coffee right now … I would thank you for joining me at el Taller, my favorite local coffee shop/book store.  I’ve taken residence here today alternating between making GOTV calls for Hillary for America, writing and working on other projects.  It all seems to be easier while sipping a nice hot cup of mint tea with honey.  I need something to soothe my throat from talking to all those Hillary supporters.

If you and I were having coffee right now … I would tell you that for me 2016 has been the year that wasn’t.  Or was it something other than what I had intended?  I started out the year intent on developing a blogging schedule and social media calendar.  Let’s just suffice it to say, November is here and I still haven’t created either.

If you and I were having coffee right now … I would tell you that I believe I suffer from seasonal depression.  If I look at my statistics (and we all know I am a numbers geek), even during years where I am blogging what I consider to be a respectable amount my posts take a nose dive from January to April.

If you and I were having coffee right now … I would admit that I spent a good part of the winter and spring simply overwhelmed.  And since I am being honest here, I apparently indulged in a few too many woe is me moments.

If you and I were having coffee right now … I would tell you that we all know I have previously confessed to being a walking, breathing hot mess most of the time.  To be clear, even though I “function” in hot mess chaos mode literally all the time, I do get lots of stuff done.  Just not always the stuff that’s most important to my long term happiness and functionality.  As my other half has been quick to point out on more than one occasion, I do a lot of charity work.  Shhh don’t tell him, he is right … I do spend a lot of time on charity work.  The problem here is that although volunteering in my community makes me happy, I sometimes am working on a volunteer project at the expense of a project that might impact me in other ways like long term financial happiness.

Currently, I am on the advisory board for my local Salvation Army. a volunteer financial literacy coach at my local YWCA through a program called Budget Buddies, and until a few days ago I was the social media liaison for the Community Involvement Committee of CREW Boston, a networking group for women who work in commercial real estate. Then there is my political work, sometimes like this summer it is a paid position and sometimes it is volunteer work.  Managing a campaign took almost all my time and energy this summer.  Unbelievable I know – it occurred to me last Tuesday when I went to the farmers market in Dewey Square as I was talking to one of the local farmers about what was likely his last corn crop of the season,  that I had essentially missed summer as that was my first farmers market purchase of the “summer”.

If you and I were having coffee right now … I would tell you that the key has to be finding my balance.  I love politics, campaigning and being involved in my community but it can no longer come at the expense of my writing and other things I enjoy in my life and home.  Next year, if I am working on a local campaign, I have to work summer activity in there as well.  Our summers are short enough in New England and making it to Maine, the beach and definitely my local farmers markets need to be part of my summer even if I am canvassing voters.

If you and I were having coffee right now … I would tell you how I am not much further along in turning my extra room back into a home office.  I haven’t had my writing space in nearly two years and I am emptying out the room and setting it up corner by corner.  It is taking me much longer than even I anticipated.  At this point, I would bake cookies for anyone willing to roll up their sleeves and help me.

If you and I were having coffee right now …  I would tell you that I have decided that I need to implement structure to my blogging life.  I am going to start off with baby steps and have one simple goal – post one weekly feature.  Please check  back next Wednesday for more details.

If you and I were having coffee right now … I would tell you that this post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share at Part Time Monster.

Well, I should get going.  Before you leave, please tell me in the comments what you would share with me …

If you and I were having coffee right now …

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