Finding that extra hour in the day you never knew you had

As regular readers of this blog will know (hi mum, hi sis), I've been using my latest posts to have a bit of a grumble about the über-juggle of working throughout half-term with a terrifyingly long to-do list.

 

Well, it's confession time.  Because despite being SOOOOOO busy and having SOOOOOO much to do, I managed to put aside at least one hour every day during the last fortnight for something new.

 

I've not joined a gym.  Neither have I extended my 25-minute plod round the local pavements that I optimistically refer to as "a run".  I've not even joined a club and met lots of fabulous new people.

 

My new activity over the past fortnight has not involved leaving the house.  It hasn't even involved leaving the sofa.  Have you guessed yet?

 

Winter Olympics fever.  Who knew?  Every evening at 7pm my little family and I have huddled into the TV room to watch the latest highlights from Sochi.  Exciting? Yes. Inspiring? Yes.  Compulsive? Yes. Yes. YES.

 

Winter Olympics: Our new addiction

 

With the reality of the closing ceremony looming, I was left feeling a little empty. It's amazing how quickly habits start to form. I was really going to miss our nightly family huddle and our own silly wee game of cheering on our bib colour of choice in the ski cross.

 

Then my mind started to wander a little further...  If I could find an hour each day, during an exceptionally busy fortnight, to enjoy a shared interest with my family, why couldn't I turn that habit into a long-term thing?

 

It needn't involve us leaving the house.  It needn't involve pots of money.  And it needn't involve the TV either.  But if we can continue to spend one hour each day having fun together then the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics will have done us a HUGE favour.

 

In the whirl of life that is work, parenting, household management and everything else in between, no-one really has 'spare' time.  We have to make a conscious decision to set aside the time.  And to make that time really matter.

 

It would be all too easy to let our golden hour of family time dissolve into a fond memory but I, for one, am going to fight for it.

 

I may not be an Olympian, but I'm a mum on a mission. And that's almost just as powerful...Isn't it?

 

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