Life is like the ocean. Never-ending waves carry the good and the bad. Every now and then you’ll hit a calm, steady rhythm. And then a storm strikes. And then another calm. Every once in a while there will be a tsunami.

Right now I’m experiencing the effects of a little burnout. I’ve been go-go-going non-stop for the past few months and I’ve been feeling great. I hit a steady rhythm in my life – I found a good balance of work and play – I was riding the waves. But now it is all catching up to me. My right eye won’t stop twitching and I’m about to rip it out. All I want to do is sleep, but there’s too much to do. A series of unfortunate events pushed some of my usual priorities to the back burner. And now I feel frazzled, scatter-brained, and utterly exhausted.

I feel like I could sleep for 10 years.

In less than 2 weeks I’ll be boarding a plane to Hawaii. I should be jumping for joy, but in all honesty, I think I’m more stressed about flying with Landon. Ha! This weekend I’m co-hosting a baby shower for a good friend. It is also the last weekend I have to get crap together before our trip. So, the rest and relaxation will have to wait.

But, ya know what? Even with the burnout weighing me down, leading me to the edge of my breaking point, I’m happy. I love life. I love my family. I feel very blessed. I just wish I had 2 extra hours each day, ya know? If I had 2 extra hours all to myself that I could do anything with, here’s what I’d do…

• Let myself fall asleep with Leila when I tuck her in at night.
• Go to Starbucks just to people watch.
• Write a book.
• Have a new blog post every. single. day.
• Read.
• Make the jewelry that’s been in my head for 2 years.
• Master photoshop.
• Clip coupons.
• Cook dinner. Real dinner.
• Cook breakfast. Real breakfast.
• Paint my nails every 2 days.
• Volunteer with a local charity.
• Keep my closet organized.

Oh man, I could go on and on. That’s kind of fun! I feel better already. Sometimes I think you just have to admit that you need to take it easy and allow yourself to do so. I’m hoping to get caught up on sleep soon. I’m hoping that the storm in my life will settle down a little and I can return to riding the mellow waves for a while.

Leila Jade, Hawaii 2011

Your turn! What would you do if you had 2 extra hours every day all to yourself – hours that didn’t cut into your sleep or usual wake time?